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Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has spoken about the circumstances that led to him playing for the side, hailing club great N'Golo Kanye as his idol.
The biggest and most protracted saga of the summer transfer window was undoubtedly Chelsea's pursuit of Ecuador international Caicedo. The Blues had to deal with Brighton & Hove Albion and also stave off interest from Liverpool to land the 22-year-old. They signed him for a reported fee of £115 million, a Premier League record.
Moises Caicedo turned down an offer from Liverpool despite receiving a call from Jürgen Klopp, as he has made up his mind to join their rivals. The former Independiente del Valle star has now revealed in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports that it was his childhood dream to play for the Blues.
“Chelsea has always caught my attention a lot, you know from the players who have been here, Kante is one of my idols. So it was very nice when I found out that Chelsea was interested in me, it was something very nice for me because it was one of my dreams when I was little," Caicedo said.
Kante spent seven years at Chelsea, having arrived from Leicester City in 2016. He registered 13 goals and 16 assists in 269 games for them, winning numerous trophies, including the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, he Blues turned down an opportunity to sign Caicedo in January despite the then-21-year-old handing in a transfer request at Brighton. The club opted to focus on their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez, who they signed for £105 million from Benfica.
Throughout the summer, the west London side made it clear that their main target was Caicedo, who was voted as the Seagulls' Player of the Year. After extensive negotiations, they managed to land him for an eye-watering sum despite late interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.
Moises Caicedo still yet to find best form at Chelsea
Moises Caicedo has had an unconvincing start to life at Stamford Bridge, with his performances showing ups and downs. The young midfielder has struggled to perform consistently for the Blues and had a debut to forget, even. He made his debut in a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United, also conceding a penalty.
Caicedo is a player of undeniable potential, and he has the quality to become one of the best in the world in his position. The midfielder is still learning the ropes, and playing at such a big club after such a high-profile transfer, he was always going to have initial issues.
From his first day at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo has made his admiration for N'Golo Kante and Claude Makelele clear for everyone. The Ecuadorian is built similarly to both Chelsea greats and will be keen to achieve as much as they did with the club.
