As N’Golo Kante was unwilling to accept Chelsea’s offer Graham Potter found a replacement for N’Golo Kante
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Before the January transfer window, Graham Potter has already identified the ideal heir to N’Golo Kante’s throne at Chelsea: Moises Caicedo. Following an outstanding season at the Amex Stadium last season, the 20-year-old midfielder was extensively linked with a move away from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer.
Caicedo, whose contract with the south coast expires in 2025, appeared eight times in the Premier League for Potter’s previous club, assisting on two goals. Despite only featuring in the later stages of the season for the Seagulls, he dazzled and made his mark with a long-range shot against Manchester United.
The Ecuador international remains a key member of Brighton’s squad, despite interest from Arsenal and Liverpool. With Caicedo being compared to Kante, Chelsea have been told why the midfielder may be a better choice at Stamford Bridge, especially considering his past working connection with Potter.
Tim Vickery stated on the talkSPORT Hawksbee and Jacobs programme in January 2021 that Caicedo would be a “great signing.” According to the South American expert: “I’m a tremendous admirer.
“And many of the South American youths sought for by Europeans are purchased on promise. This guy is already a reality, and he’s just taking it all in stride.
“He’s just stepped up to a pretty good first team in Ecuador, he’s stepped up to international football with the Ecuador national team, who are flying, he’s the first player born in the twenty-first century to score a goal in South American World Cup qualification, and he’s an all-rounder,” says a source close to the player.
Vickery continued: “He mentioned Kante of Chelsea as a role model, but he is already more than that; in a 4-2-3-1, he is like the second guy in that line of two, so he can defend but also bomb forward.
“He’s really good at timing his runs, he’s calm in possession, and he appears to have everything. He’s a fantastic signing in my opinion.”
However, Potter may have already shot himself – and Chelsea – in the foot if the Blues try to sign the talented midfielder, as the former Brighton manager recently set a £100 million price tag on Caicedo.
During the closing days of the transfer window, Potter was questioned about a £42 million deal for Caicedo, to which he replied: “You’d probably get his boots from the chairman for that – maybe! £100m? They can make an attempt.
“It’s not surprising that people are looking at him because he’s playing at a tremendous level; once you do some study on him, you realise he’s a top kid, a nice guy, young, playing in the Premier League, and has all the characteristics to play at the very, very best level.”
