Is Caicedo the Best Holding Midfielder in the World?

The centre of a huge transfer saga that rumbled on throughout the summer transfer window of 2023, Moises Caicedo was a wanted man, with both Liverpool and Chelsea battling it out to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder that was pulling the strings for Robert De Zerbi's Brighton side.

After a long, drawn-out process, the 23-year-old eventually chose Stamford Bridge and secured a bumper £116 million move to the 6-time Premier League champions.

With numerous top-quality holding midfielders in the world of football at the moment, we take a look where the young Ecuadorian ranks among the best.

Flourishing at the Amex

During his time with Brighton, the young midfielder lined up for the Seagulls over 50 times, creating a formidable partnership with both Alexis Mac Allister & Pascal Groß, both however have subsequently moved on to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectably, much to the Brighton fans' frustration.

Having moved from Independiente del Valle in his homeland at the beginning of 2022, Caicedo quickly secured his place in the Brighton first team, and the tenacious midfielder quickly became known for his strong tackling & tireless work rate that became a renowned characteristic to the Seagulls game during the 2022/23 season.

They finished an impressive 6th place that season, securing European football at the Amex for the first time in the clubs 122 year history.

Big Money Move

Coupled with their success throughout the season, Caicedo was gathering attention from numerous other clubs with his standout performances week-in week-out for Roberto De Zerbi's men.

The clubs historic season was sprinkled with a number of standout moments throughout including a 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, a 5-2 win against Leicester, and a 6-0 thrashing of Wolves.

Despite losing manager Graham Potter to Chelsea in September, De Zerbi took over and lead the club to their highest ever finish. It was no surprise that Caicedo was named Players’ Player of the Season following numerous impressive performances during the season.

This form was ultimately the catalyst to his big-money move to Stamford Bridge. The size of the fee not only put a huge weight of expectation on the shoulders of the combative midfielder, but also increased the level of scrutiny he would receive.

It was a slow start to life at the Bridge for Caicedo as he struggled to make an impact in an under-performing Chelsea side - the weight of expectation following the record-breaking move lead to a number of pundits criticising his slow start.

However, signs of improvement emerged towards the end of 2023 under manager Mauricio Pochettino. Caicedo began to settle, showing the defensive prowess and passing ability that he was signed for.

This was a turning point in his short career at Chelsea as his relentless tackling and growing confidence laid the foundation for his eventual standout performances in the 2024-25 season, where he became Chelsea’s Player of the Season.

Despite the rocky start, Caicedo’s early months marked the beginning of his transformation into a key player.

That key player tag still applies today as he played a key role in securing Chelsea's club World Cup win. In the final, he came up against PSG, who have arguably the best midfield in world football with Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz & João Neves all currently playing at the peak of their powers.

The Londoners came out on top however with a 3-0 victory, a result that undoubtedly surprised many

Best Holding Midfielder in the World?

In recent years, the importance of the holding midfielder has been elevated following the success of Manchester City and Ballon d'Or victory of Rodri.

A number of football fans eyes have been opened at the realisation of how much a match can be controlled by the holding midfielder. They are the backbone of a team, providing defensive security, enabling transitions, and maintaining balance.

At the moment, Rodri, Vitinha and Declan Rice are setting the standard with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Joshua Kimmich, Eduardo Camavinga & Aurélien Tchouaméni a level below but performing at a very high standard.

When it comes to Caicedo and his impressive time as of late, it remains fair to leave him a step below some of the talents named. Having chipped in with just 3 goals in almost 100 appearances for Chelsea is a stat that undoubtedly goes against the Ecuadorian compared to Rodri's who bagged the winning goal for Manchester City in the Champions league final 2024.

Ranking of influential holding midfielders