How good is Moises Caicedo? Well, it is a measure of his quality and potential that Brighton received an offer of £70 million for his services in January - and that they rejected it in an instant. They had no interest in selling the player and, even if they were willing to send him to Arsenal, it would have taken a much higher fee than that to change their minds.
Brighton know the value of their assets and there is no player more valuable in their squad than Caicedo, the 21-year-old who has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dynamic and exciting midfielders. Quick across the ground, strong in the tackle, secure on the ball: Caicedo is fast becoming one of the division’s finest all-rounders.
This weekend, when Brighton travel to the Emirates Stadium, the Ecuadorian will have a glimpse of what might have been. Caicedo wanted to make the move to Arsenal in January, and told Telegraph Sport recently that it was “tough” when that transfer did not materialise. He might yet join Mikel Arteta’s revolution in the summer, although there is also expected to be competition from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
It seems, then, that most of the country’s wealthiest clubs are keen to throw some of their cash at Caicedo. For those who have watched him regularly this season, the reasons for that are obvious. Under the guidance of Roberto De Zerbi, one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches, Caicedo has shown himself to be both a technician and a destroyer.
When he joined Brighton in the winter of 2021, in a £4m deal from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, Caicedo described N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba as his idols. In itself, that was a reflection of his versatility and a sign that he viewed himself capable not only of stopping opposition attacks but also starting them for his own side.
This season, Caicedo is among the league’s top five midfielders when it comes to his number of duels won, tackles made and passes completed. He also ranks in the top 10 of midfielders for chances created, which further underlines the complete nature of his game.
The only area in which he obviously falls short is goalscoring - he has scored only twice in 40 Premier League appearances - but he is primarily a deep-lying midfielder, so that is not his responsibility.
Away from the pitch, Caicedo is usually quiet and reserved, unless he is with his inner circle. He does not care for flashy cars or expensive watches, and much of his newfound financial strength is used to help his family back home in Ecuador. He is the youngest of 10 siblings but he is now, effectively, the leader of the family.
'A top player with and without the ball - He has no limit'
It did not take long for De Zerbi to form a strong opinion of Caicedo. The Italian replaced Graham Potter in September, and then said in October: “Caicedo, for me, could become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and in Europe.
“Caicedo is a top player with and without the ball. There are many players who are very good with the ball but without it in defensive spaces are not so good. Others in the defensive space are top but with the ball, there are some problems. With Caicedo, I don’t see anything not at the top level. He has no limit.”
The expectation within the industry is that Caicedo, having been told to stay in January, will leave Brighton in the summer, despite an agreement being reached over a new contract in March. But Brighton will only sell if the right offer arrives, and it will take an enormous bid - perhaps as high as £90m, if not even more - to secure his services.
Could Arsenal be the destination? Evidently they were convinced by his talent earlier this year, and there is no reason for that to have changed. Declan Rice is their top target, though, and it remains to be seen whether they would, or indeed could, sign both midfielders in one window.
In January, the dream scenario for Arsenal was to buy Caicedo and then add Rice in the summer. Instead, they ended up signing Jorginho from Chelsea. Is there room for two more midfielders this summer, with Granit Xhaka potentially leaving for Germany? Yes, probably. But is there enough financial firepower to make it work? At this stage, only Arsenal’s most important executives can truly know the answer. In truth it feels unlikely, with other positions also in need of strengthening.
Caicedo’s future remains uncertain but it does seem clear that he is heading for the top of the game. It is rare indeed for a player to boast such physical power along with such technical skill, and the biggest clubs in Europe know elite-level potential when they see it.