AHEAD OF ARSENAL: MOISES CAICEDO INSISTS CHELSEA WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE
Chelsea star Moises Caicedo reveals he prioritised a move to Stamford Bridge over Arsenal and wants to win trophies to justify his huge price tag.
Moises Caicedo says he always wanted to move to Chelsea, even though Arsenal was interested.
Chelsea signed the Ecuador international from Brighton for £115 million two years ago.
Arsenal made multiple offers for Caicedo, including a £70m bid, but Brighton turned them all down.
Caicedo struggled at times in his first season with Chelsea. But now, under Enzo Maresca, the 24-year-old has become one of the top midfielders in the league.
In a recent interview, Caicedo talked about why he picked Chelsea over Arsenal in 2023.
‘Things happen for a reason,’ Caicedo said. ‘I almost joined them, but I’m glad I’m here now. The timing was right.
‘I waited for Chelsea. Some people made fun of me, saying I made the wrong choice, but it takes time to get used to a big team. I needed that time.
‘I want to give everything to this club because they believed in me. I picked Chelsea because they want to win. I want to win a lot of trophies with them.
‘I want to stay here for a while and keep getting better. I want to win even more trophies.’
Before Chelsea’s game against Arsenal on Sunday, Maresca said you can't really compare Caicedo and Declan Rice.
‘I was at West Ham when Rice was just starting,’ said Maresca, who used to be Manuel Pellegrini’s assistant.
‘Rice was younger then, and I worked with him a lot. You could tell he was already really good.
‘He was playing as a central defender with the second-team players. Pellegrini decided to move him to midfield in the first team, but he was younger than Caicedo is now. Still, it was clear he was very talented.
‘Rice isn’t just a holding midfielder now; he’s playing further up the field, kind of like Enzo Fernandez. It’s a different role.
‘He’s improved a lot, and that’s thanks to Mikel Arteta’s work. He’s a great, all-around player. He can defend, attack, and do everything.’
£104M SHOCK: CHELSEA LAUNCH RECORD-BREAKING BID FOR REAL MADRID STAR FEDERICO VALVERDE
Chelsea launch a stunning £104m bid for Real Madrid's Federico Valverde. Learn how Liam Rosenior plans to rebuild the Blues' midfield.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea is planning a move for Real Madrid's Federico Valverde.
After firing Enzo Maresca, Chelsea played two Premier League games against Manchester City and Fulham under caretaker boss Calum McFarlane, but they didn't win either one.
Liam Rosenior is now the new manager, and his time began with a big 5-1 win over Carlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round last weekend.
Fichajes says that Rosenior wants to build his Chelsea team around a midfielder who can do it all, and he thinks Valverde is the perfect guy.
But Valverde’s contract runs until 2029, so Real Madrid isn't looking to sell him. They'll only let him go if they get a crazy good offer.
The player likes being with the Spanish team and isn't trying to leave right now. Still, Chelsea is ready to make an official £104m offer to try and get Real Madrid to sell him. Real Madrid might have a tough time turning down that much money, and is willing to think about the offer before deciding.
Valverde is a flexible midfielder who can play as a deep playmaker or in a box-to-box role. He can also fill in at right-back and on the right side.
Valverde has had a lot of success with Real Madrid, winning every major competition and becoming one of the world's best midfielders.
Right now, Chelsea’s midfield options include Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Andrey Santos. But Lavia and Essugo have been dealing with injuries.
Because of that, Caicedo and Fernandez have been playing a lot. Valverde is in his prime and could be a huge addition for Chelsea if they can get him.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can get the South American to join them in January or next summer.
Chelsea will play Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg this week before playing Brentford in the Premier League next weekend.
BREAKING: LIAM ROSENIOR DOES WHAT NINE CHELSEA MANAGERS COULDN’T IN TEN YEARS
Liam Rosenior ends a decade-long curse as Chelsea smash Charlton 5-1. Discover why he’s the first since Conte to win his debut.
Liam Rosenior couldn’t have asked for a better start as Chelsea’s new manager. His team smashed Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and with that, Rosenior became the first Chelsea boss in ten years to win his debut match. The goals came from everywhere—Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernandez all got on the scoresheet. It was a statement win, and Chelsea cruised into the next round.
You have to go back to Antonio Conte in August 2016 to find the last time a new Chelsea manager kicked off with a victory. Back then, Conte oversaw a 2-1 win against West Ham. In between, nine different managers, including caretakers and interims—even Frank Lampard, twice—couldn’t pull off a debut win. They managed a handful of draws and a few losses, but nobody started with three points until Rosenior.
After the match, Rosenior sounded pretty pleased with his squad’s attitude. He said, “Yeah, I was very happy with the attitude of the team, even in the first half. This isn’t an easy place to come, third round of the FA Cup. I thought our pressing was really intense and sharp. We controlled things, created chances from distance, and got a great goal from Hato at the perfect time.”
He went on, “The game opened up in the second half. We know we’ve got fantastic players. I was able to bring more quality off the bench, but honestly, I was delighted with the starting XI and especially the front three. Ale kept pushing in his one-on-ones, Marc Guiu was outstanding and really deserved his goal, and Jamie Gittens kept running at defenders. He always looked dangerous. So yeah, a lot of positives and a really good start.”
Now, Chelsea’s focus shifts to the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal on Wednesday. After that, Rosenior takes charge of his first Premier League game at Stamford Bridge against Brentford.
Talking about the big Arsenal clash, Rosenior said, “I’ve got another two days. The main thing I challenged the players on was how we react to setbacks and the intensity we show. Nothing tactical or technical—these players are top quality and have been well coached before I arrived. I was happy with the togetherness, the spirit, the way they ran, won duels, won headers—all the basics. That’s what makes the difference.”