Transfer Talk: Arsenal and Chelsea mad about Moises

Moises Caicedo has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

The Ecuador international shone for Brighton throughout the 2022-23 campaign, while he also impressed at the World Cup in Qatar.

As such, the Seagulls look destined to lose the 21-year-old this summer, despite the fact his contract runs until 2027.

With Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly battling it out for his coveted signature, we shine the spotlight on the South American maestro.

All-round quality

Caicedo's meteoric rise is shown in the numbers.

Defensively, he is among the best in the business, ranking second in the Premier League this season for tackles made, joint-second for interceptions and third for possessions won in the middle third.

The quality of his passing game matches those pragmatic skills, too.

Among midfielders in the English top flight, he sat third for passes completed and seventh for passes completed in the final third.

And the 30-cap international also created 43 chances, two more than Kaoru Mitoma and just four fewer than Alexis Mac Allister.

Young Gunners

Reports in Ecuador hint that Arsenal are favourites to land Caicedo after their failed January pursuit — which saw the player hand in a transfer request and a £70million bid rejected.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has already made it clear that the midfielder is likely to depart.

The Italian mastermind said last month: "For sure we will lose some players, maybe Caicedo and Mac Allister."

With Granit Xhaka set to join Bayer Leverkusen and Albert Sambi Lokonga's future up in the air, signing the Seagulls' No25 makes perfect sense.

Chelsea choice

While they have no European football to offer, Chelsea still retain hope of completing a deal for Caicedo.

Part of that belief will stem from Brighton's known interest in centre-back Levi Colwill, who thrived on loan at the Amex this season.

Some reports in England suggest a player-plus-cash deal involving the 20-year-old defender is on the cards.

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino needs serious investment in his midfield department, as N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all look set to leave.

And the energetic Caicedo would be the perfect operator to complement Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park. 

The ex-Benfica ace ranked ninth in the Premier League for final third passes completed per 90 minutes (18.57) and a more defensively-astute partner could unlock his full potential.

Decision time

All signs point to Caicedo leaving the South Coast in due course, which means he has a potentially career-defining decision to make.

He wrote in his public transfer request back in January: "My dream always is to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador."

On paper, a move to Arsenal looks the most logical in order to achieve that dream, given the team's rapid improvement under Arteta's guidance.

But if the Gunners bring in Declan Rice this summer to partner Thomas Partey, a regular starting berth may not be easy to come by.

That will certainly not be the case during Chelsea's transitional period, which could provide him with the perfect platform to further enhance his reputation at one of Europe's elite.