Moisés Caicedo
Caicedo with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022
Personal information
Full name Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo[1]
Date of birth (2001-11-02) 2 November 2001
Place of birth Santo Domingo, Ecuador
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 25
Youth career
2007–2014 Mujer Trabajadora
2015–2016 Colorados Jaipadida
2016–2019 Independiente del Valle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Independiente del Valle 25 (4)
2021–2023 Brighton & Hove Albion 45 (2)
2021–2022 → Beerschot (loan) 12 (1)
2023– Chelsea 18 (0)
International career‡
2020– Ecuador 38 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023 (UTC)

Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo (born 2 November 2001) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the Ecuador national team.

Early life

Born in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, the youngest of ten siblings, Caicedo would play football on the scrubland pitches of his hometown, the Mujer Trabajadora neighbourhood, where goals were marked out by piles of stones.[3] As a child he met local football coach Iván Guerra, who would help Caicedo and his family by paying for his football boots, travel expenses and food.[3]

Club career

Early career

Caicedo was invited to play his first organised football at the Mujer Trabajadora soccer school by Guerra, and he played there between the ages of five and twelve.[4] The team would often play in games across the Santo Domingo Canton, and Caicedo earned a call-up to a regional select XI.[3][4] Initially a forward, Caicedo later developed into a midfielder, and joined local side Colorados Jaipadida at the age of thirteen, an affiliate of professional club ESPOLI.[3][4][5]

Following impressive performances with Jaipadida, he was invited to train with ESPOLI.[4] However, following ESPOLI's relegation, the tie with Jaipadida was severed, and Caicedo was left without a direct pathway to professional football.[4] Jaipadida director Darwin Castillo sent Caicedo to trial with professional side Mushuc Runa, but after he was unable to pay for food or board, the trial was ended after a week.[4] A later trial with Barcelona in Guayaquil would also prove unsuccessful.[4]

Independiente del Valle

In 2016 one of his brothers brought him to Ecuadorian Serie A side Independiente del Valle for trials, which he successfully passed.[6] Having suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his knee in 2017, he required a number of surgeries, and was out for a total of ten months.[3] Caicedo recovered from the injury, and following his arrival at the club to manage the under-18 side in 2019, Yuri Solano stated that Caicedo's athleticism "set him apart from the rest at that time".[3]

Later in 2019, Caicedo captained the Independiente del Valle youth team to the Copa Mitad del Mundo title, a youth tournament in Spain.[3] Following this experience, he made his debut for the Independiente del Valle first team in a 1–0 Ecuadorian Serie A win over L.D.U. Quito on 1 October of the same year.[7] First team manager at the time, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, would later say that "from the first day he trained with us, he was the best player in the squad".[3]

Such was his importance to the first team squad, Ramirez would have Caicedo flown back from an U-20 Copa Libertadores game in Paraguay to feature in a Serie A match against rivals L.D.U. Quito in 2020 - a game which Independiente del Valle won 3–2 - before returning to the under-20 squad to play in the 2020 U-20 Copa Libertadores final, where he shone in a win over Argentine opposition River Plate.[3]

Throughout his time at Independiente del Valle, Caicedo was mostly deployed as a "number 5", a more defensive midfielder, but would also play at centre-back.[3] Due to the form of Independiente's Argentine midfielder Cristian Pellerano, who also occupied the defensive midfield spot, Caicedo was pushed higher up, operating as a box-to-box midfielder.[3] His performances in this role drew acclaim across the continent, most notably after scoring in a 5–0 win against Brazilian side Flamengo in the 2020 edition of the Copa Libertadores; after stepping over a pass from Beder Caicedo, a dummy which fooled a number of Flamengo defenders, he received the ball from a Gabriel Torres pass, before placing the ball past Flamengo goalkeeper César.[3]

Brighton & Hove Albion

2021: Transfer and first appearances

On 1 February 2021, Caicedo joined English side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four and a half year deal, for an undisclosed fee.[8] On 10 February 2021, Caicedo made his first appearance in Brighton’s first-team matchday squad in Brighton’s 1–0 away loss against Leicester City in the FA Cup, where he was an unused substitute.[9]

He made his debut for Brighton on 24 August starting in the EFL Cup second round away fixture at Cardiff City where he set up Andi Zeqiri’s first Albion goal in the 2–0 win.[10]

2021–2022: Beerschot (loan)

On transfer deadline day of 31 August 2021, Caicedo joined Beerschot of the Belgium top flight on a season-long loan.[11] He scored his first goal on his seventh appearance, a 90+2 minute strike to seal all three points in the 2–0 home win over Genk.[12] On 12 January 2022, due to shortages of central midfielders at Brighton, Caicedo was recalled from his loan and returned to England.[13]

2022–2023: Emergence and breakthrough

Caicedo (wearing number 25) with his teammates playing for Brighton in a preseason game against Espanyol, on 30 July 2022.
Caicedo playing for Brighton in July 2022.

Immediately on his return to Sussex, he was included on the bench where he remained for the 1–1 home draw against bitter rivals Crystal Palace on 15 January.[14] He made his first appearance since returning and second overall for the Albion coming on as a substitute in the 3–1 away loss at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on 5 February.[15] Caicedo made his Premier League debut on 9 April, starting and assisting Enock Mwepu's goal in the 2–1 away win over Arsenal.[16] He scored his first goal for the Albion on 7 May, opening the scoreline in a 4–0 win over Manchester United, with a 15th minute low 25-yard strike.[17]

Caicedo scored his first goal in the 2022–23 season in his and Brighton's sixth match of the season on 4 September, a 5–2 home win over Leicester City.[18] During January 2023, Caicedo signed a new deal with a football agency company, and on 27 January, with interest coming in from league leaders Arsenal, his agents released a statement announcing he wanted to leave Brighton in an open letter on the player’s Instagram page. The letter stated that, "I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador". Furthermore, Caicedo thanked Brighton fans, saying that they would "always be in my heart."[19] Caicedo was linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.[20][21][22]

On 30 January 2023, it was reported that Brighton had rejected a second Arsenal bid for Caicedo which was worth approximately £70m.[23] Thus, with Brighton having refused to sell the Ecuadorian and with the 21-year-old in contract with the Sussex-based club until the summer of 2025, the club told Caicedo to rest until the end of the transfer window. He returned to training on 1 February and returned to action on the 4th, coming on as a substitute in the 1–0 home win over Bournemouth with Roberto De Zerbi asking fans not to criticise the player.[24][25] On 3 March 2023, Caicedo signed a new long term contract with Brighton until 2027, with the option for another year.[26] At Brighton's end of season awards Caicedo won both Player of the Season and Player's Player, promising that "When I go back to my flat I will give this award to my mother and father, they are my inspiration."[27]

On 27 June 2023, it was reported that Brighton had rejected a bid from Chelsea worth £80m for Caicedo.[28] On 21 July 2023, de Zerbi stated that he would "start the next season with Caicedo in… [his] head in the first 11."[29] On 10 August 2023, it was reported that Liverpool had agreed a £111m fee with Brighton for Caicedo,[30] which was confirmed by Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp a day later.[31][32] However, on 12 August 2023, it was reported that Chelsea had agreed to a higher bid for Caicedo, offering a £115m fee to Brighton, inclusive of add-ons.[33][34]

Chelsea

Caicedo joined Chelsea on 14 August 2023, signing an eight-year contract, with the option of a one-year extension.[35][36] Although the fee was officially undisclosed, it was reported to be worth a base transfer fee £100 million. This fee could potentially increase to approximately £115 million due to performance related add-ons, a British transfer fee record for a single player, which would surpass the £107 million fee paid Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez.[37][38] On 20 August, Caicedo made his debut for his new club, coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute in a Premier League match against West Ham United, which saw Caicedo give away a penalty which was converted by Lucas Paquetá, in a 3–1 loss.[39]

International career

Caicedo debuted for the senior Ecuador national team in a 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying loss to Argentina on 9 October 2020.[40] He scored the opening goal in a 4–2 home win over Uruguay on 13 October 2020 at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.

On 14 November, Caicedo was named in Ecuador's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside Brighton teammates Pervis Estupiñán and Jeremy Sarmiento.[41] In the last group match tie against Senegal on 29 November, Caicedo scored the equaliser that would've seen Ecuador through to the round of 16. However, Kalidou Koulibaly scored for Senegal three minutes later to regain the lead and send the Senegalese through instead.[42]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 January 2024[43]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Independiente del Valle 2019 Ecuadorian Serie A 3000——30
2020 Ecuadorian Serie A 22400—6[lower-alpha 3]2286
Total 25400—62316
Brighton & Hove Albion 2020–21 Premier League 000000—00
2021–22 Premier League 811010—101
2022–23 Premier League 3714020—431
Total 4525030—532
Beerschot (loan) 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 12121——142
Chelsea 2023–24 Premier League 1801050—240
Career total 100781806212210

International

As of 21 November 2023[44]
Ecuador
YearAppsGoals
202041
2021131
2022111
2023100
Total383

Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Moisés Caicedo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
113 October 2020Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador Uruguay1–04–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification
216 November 2021Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, Santiago, Chile Chile2–02–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
329 November 2022Khalifa International Stadium, Al-Rayyan, Qatar Senegal1–11–22022 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Independiente U20

Independiente del Valle

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Updated squad lists for 2020/21 Premier League". Premier League. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Moisés Caicedo: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Lang, Jack (7 July 2023). "Moises Caicedo's rise and rise: 'He was made for the big clubs'". theathletic.com. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Robertson, Gregor (8 August 2023). "Moisés Caicedo's Ecuador roots: 'Rocks were our goalposts'". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ↑ Bayas, Mauricio (13 May 2023). "Moisés Caicedo y Óscar Zambrano salieron del semillero Jaipadida" [Moisés Caicedo and Óscar Zambrano left the Jaipadida seedbed]. lacancha.com.ec (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Córdova, Martha (23 February 2020). "Moisés Caicedo, la nueva 'joya' que formó el Independiente del Valle" [Moisés Caicedo, the new 'jewel' that formed Independiente del Valle]. elcomercio.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Independiente del Valle vs. LDU Quito - 1 October 2019 - Soccerway". ca.soccerway.com.
  8. ↑ "Albion complete Caicedo signing". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Hafez, Shamoon. "Leicester City 1–0 Brighton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Cardiff City 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion: Seagulls into Carabao Cup third round - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Moises Caicedo makes loan move to Beerschot". Brighton & Hove Albion FC. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "ON COMMITMENT, ENTHIOUSIAM AND CHARACTER TO VICTORY". Beerschot. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Moises Caicedo recalled from Beerschot". Brighton & Hove Albion. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Brighton 1-1 Crystal Palace: Late own goal gives Brighton deserved draw - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Tottenham 3-1 Brighton: Harry Kane praises 'brilliant' Antonio Conte as Spurs progress in FA Cup". BBC Sport. 5 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  16. ↑ "Arsenal 1-2 Brighton: Gunners boss Mikel Arteta 'concerned' by performance in home defeat". BBC Sport. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Brighton 4-0 Manchester United: Big defeat ends United's Champions League hopes". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Brighton 5-2 Leicester: Graham Potter's side maintain excellent start to Premier League season". BBC Sport Sport. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  19. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton midfielder confirms he wants to leave club". BBC Sport. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  20. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Midfielder 'focused on Brighton' amid Chelsea transfer talk". BBC Sport. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Monday's transfer gossip: Fernandez, Caicedo, Hincapie, Shelvey, Felix, Lindelof, Bellingham". BBC Sport. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  22. ↑ "Transfer news: Liverpool interested in Caicedo". BBC Sport. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton reject second Arsenal bid for Ecuador midfielder of about £70m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton midfielder returns to training after failed move". BBC Sport. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  25. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton fans should not 'criticise' midfielder - Roberto de Zerbi". BBC Sport. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  26. ↑ "Moises Caicedo signs new long-term contract". Brighton & Hove Albion. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  27. 1 2 3 "Caicedo is double award winner". Brighton & Hove Albion. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton reject Chelsea's £80m bid for midfielder". BBC Sport. 10 August 2023.
  29. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Brighton plan for stay amid Chelsea interest". BBC Sport. 10 August 2023.
  30. ↑ "Moises Caicedo: Liverpool agree £111m fee with Brighton for Ecuador midfielder". BBC Sport. 10 August 2023.
  31. ↑ "Sources: Caicedo wants Chelsea over Liverpool". ESPN.com. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Caicedo deal has been agreed with Brighton - Klopp". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  33. ↑ Law, Matt; Wallace, Sam (12 August 2023). "Chelsea set to sign Moises Caicedo in record £115m deal to hijack Liverpool bid". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  34. ↑ Roddy, Paul Joyce, Tom (12 August 2023). "Chelsea on the brink of £115m deal for Moisés Caicedo". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 August 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ↑ "Chelsea complete Moises Caicedo signing". Chelsea F.C. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  36. ↑ "Moises Caicedo completes Chelsea move". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  37. ↑ Ornstein, David; Johnson, Simon (14 August 2023). "Chelsea reach £115m Moises Caicedo transfer agreement with Brighton". The Athletic. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  38. ↑ Steinberg, Jacob (14 August 2023). "Chelsea complete Moisés Caicedo signing in British record £115m deal". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "West Ham 3-1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  40. ↑ "Argentina vs. Ecuador - 9 October 2020". Soccerway.
  41. ↑ "Ecuador, el último en entregar la lista de los 26 jugadores convocados para la Copa del Mundo de Qatar 2022" [Ecuador, the last to deliver the list of the 26 players summoned for the Qatar World Cup 2022]. ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 14 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  42. ↑ "World Cup 2022: Ecuador 1-2 Sengal - Ismaila Sarr & Kalidou Koulibaly put Africans into last 16". BBC Sport. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  43. 1 2 Moisés Caicedo at Soccerway
  44. ↑ Moisés Caicedo at National-Football-Teams.com
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