Chelsea have no intention of engaging with Al-Nassr’s interest in Moises Caicedo, and this is the correct decision.
On Wednesday, some blockbuster news emerged out of Riyadh and West London as it was revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi giants Al-Nassr hold a concrete interest in Chelsea’s record signing.
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Caicedo has only been at Stamford Bridge for two years, arriving in the summer of 2023 after a drawn-out saga that saw the Blues beat Liverpool to his signature. It required a British record €134 million to prise the Ecuador international away from Brighton.
His first season at Chelsea was a mixed bag, so had Al-Nassr’s interest in Caicedo been revealed last summer, there would have been a decent argument to be made that the Premier League side should just take the money and run.
But this is no longer the case. Although Chelsea have disappointed in recent months, Caicedo is enjoying a brilliant sophomore season in London.
Enzo Maresca is officially facing the Chelsea SACK
Chelsea should keep Caicedo
The 23-year-old has been Chelsea’s most reliable midfielder this season, and he is a crucial cog in Enzo Maresca’s side, with his grit, determination and tactical awareness providing balance to a side that is stacked with so much attacking talent (although that talent has rarely been showcased lately).
Indeed, the data backs up that Chelsea would be foolish to cash in on Caicedo despite the fact that they could likely extract a significant profit, which is a crazy thing to say about a €134m investment.
SciSports’ top 5 U23 defensive midfielders (ranked by potential)
| Player | Club | Age | Potential |
| Moises Caicedo | Chelsea | 23 | 137 |
| Mussa Kaba | Borussia Dortmund | 16 | 133.4 |
| Archie Gray | Tottenham | 19 | 130.6 |
| Carlos Baleba | Brighton | 21 | 127.4 |
| Joao Neves | PSG | 20 | 124.1 |
According to data analytics firm SciSports, Caicedo has the highest potential out of any U23 defensive midfielder in world football, and by quite some distance, too.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, who has been touted as a potential Chelsea signing in recent months, clocks in at fourth, so he would be an adequate replacement, but he would not be able to reach the same heights as his Ecuadorian counterpart.
According to reports, Chelsea have no intention of entertaining Al-Nassr’s interest in Caicedo, and this is evidently the correct decision. The Blues have a gem on their hands, and they should build their team around the 23-year-old for years to come.
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