In Focus: Caicedo can make some Moise in new-look Blues midfield

Chelsea continued their spending spree under the ownership of Todd Boehly by signing Moises Caicedo for a British record fee from Brighton.

The deal, reportedly worth £115million, sees the Blues bring in one of the standout midfielders of last season's Premier League campaign.

Caicedo, 21, is the latest piece in an expensively-assembled jigsaw that should be aiming high this season.

Ahead of Chelsea's trip to West Ham on Sunday, we look at the impact the Ecuadorian could have at Stamford Bridge.

Young pups

Caicedo becomes by far the least experienced player to cost £100m or more, having played just 45 Premier League matches prior to making the move to Chelsea.

Though his ability is impossible to argue with, the Blues cannot be certain how the youngster will respond to playing for a bigger club.

Boehly has made a point of signing the world's best up-and-coming talent but has assembled a squad lacking the know-how possessed by the most successful Chelsea teams of the last 20 years.

Thiago Silva is the only first-team regular over 30, while nine of the XI who started against Liverpool last Sunday were 26 or under.

Dynamic duo

Partnering Caicedo with Enzo Fernandez appears to lock down Chelsea's midfield for several seasons to come, with the incoming Romeo Lavia set to offer world-class potential alongside them.

Fernandez won the player-of-the-match award against the Reds and will now help form a partnership that can do just about everything in Mauricio Pochettino's midfield.

Former England striker Michael Owen believes the pair could dominate in the top flight. He said: "Fernandes put on an exhibition [against Liverpool].

"If Caicedo joins him at Chelsea, that'll be the best midfield pairing in the Premier League."

Choice for Poch

Caicedo also offers Chelsea plenty of flexibility.

Reece James' injury record means right-back cover will be necessary at times this season — a role the South American looked comfortable performing on the South Coast last term.

He can also play in a range of different midfield roles, from patrolling the back four to pushing on to support the attack.

Without European football to juggle, Pochettino should be consistent in his selection and will likely allow Caicedo to settle into the box-to-box role that suits him best.

Dominant midfielder

Caicedo ranked seventh for tackles and 11th for interceptions per game in the league last season and will provide Chelsea with a foundation on which they can dominate matches.

But the 32-cap ace can drive his team forward, having also ranked 12th for take-ons completed among the league's central midfielders.

Considering he created the eighth-most chances, a picture of a dominant player begins to emerge.

With Fernandez and Lavia also capable of orchestrating matches, the Blues should have their eyes set on a prosperous campaign.