Chelsea target Moises Caicedo will be closely watched closely by Blues fans across the world in the World Cup opener Qatar vs Ecuador. The Ecuadorian is set to play an important role for his nation in the tournament as they look to book a place in the round of 16.
Ecuador are joined by the hosts, Netherlands and Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal in Group A in what is poised to be a tough handful of fixtures. La Tricolor will be hoping Caicedo can replicate his impressive performances for Brighton on the international stage.
The 21-year-old, who sees his deal at the Amex Stadium expire in 2025, has featured 14 times for the Seagulls in the Premier League this season, directly contributing towards one goal from midfield. His impressive displays have reportedly attracted the interest of Chelsea and Real Madrid, with Brighton giving the youngster an eye-watering £68million price tag.
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Caicedo was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea following Graham Potter's appointment as Blues boss. The former Brighton head coach will be hoping that his relationship with the youngster will be enough to attract the Ecuadorian to Stamford Bridge in the future.
Potter handed Caicedo his breakthrough in Europe as he joined the Seagulls from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for just £4.5million in February 2021. The midfielder featured 16 times for the Chelsea boss, directly contributing towards four goals - one of which was a spectacular effort against Manchester United at the end of last season.
Chelsea are believed to be in the market for a midfielder amid the uncertain futures of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, who see their respective deals expire in the summer. And, luckily for the west Londoners, Caicedo has admitted that he would like to reunite with Potter at Stamford Bridge one day.
Speaking to Ole, as quoted by the Evening Standard, the Brighton star said: "It made me very sad now that he left for Chelsea because he helped me a lot and I wanted to continue having him as a manager, but that’s football.
"Right now I’m very focused on Brighton and the World Cup. I want to have a great World Cup and then we’ll see what happens.
"I think they are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that. It’d be a dream to be in the best teams in the world and succeed there."
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