Chelsea’s high-priced acquisition of Moises Caicedo for £115 million saw the player granted his first-ever full Premier League start on Friday evening. However, his debut didn’t commence on the most favorable note.
In their pursuit of their primary target, Chelsea set a British record transfer fee, significantly benefiting Brighton, who profited considerably from what they originally paid Independiente del Valle back in 2021.
Despite the substantial investment, Caicedo encountered a rough beginning last week, as he conceded a penalty in a 3-1 loss to West Ham. This incident occurred after he had been substituted onto the field in the second half.
The substantial fee attached to his transfer has placed an immense spotlight on Caicedo, who is merely 21 years old. This attention intensified as he faced criticism from fans during the match against Luton Town at Stamford Bridge.
During the game, Caicedo found himself in possession of the ball with minimal pressure from the opposing team. However, he was tackled in a peculiar manner, seemingly by an invisible opponent. This resulted in a comical fall from Caicedo, allowing Tahith Chong to seize the ball and initiate an attacking move for Luton Town.
Caicedo 😭
pic.twitter.com/BajFgxd9wY— – (@PassLikeThiago) August 25, 2023
Caicedo feeling the pressure of the £115m price tag already. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/obqFoC0fpz
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) August 25, 2023
Caicedo is too funny man.😭 pic.twitter.com/cq1sHUDnWo
— Kloppholic (@Kloppholic) August 25, 2023
Despite the gaffe, Chelsea managed to maintain their advantage and eventually secured the lead through an impressive individual effort by Raheem Sterling. Sterling appears to have regained his form after a challenging debut season with the club.
Caicedo was at the center of one of the most memorable transfer sagas in recent history. He seemed poised to join Liverpool after a fee had been settled upon. A medical examination was even scheduled. However, Caicedo communicated to Jurgen Klopp that his preference was exclusively for Chelsea. As a result, he signed an eight-year contract with the club.
The deal is an initial £100 million, with a further £15 million due if performance-related add-ons are met.
Liverpool’s other defensive midfield target Romeo Lavia also snubbed a move to Anfield in favour of joining Chelsea but is not yet ready to play after his £53 million switch from Southampton.
Speaking in his press conference, Mauricio Pochettino said: “Lavia no [not ready to start].
“He needs a few weeks to be ready to be involved with the team. He is working to try and catch his team-mates.
“For Romeo we need to wait a few weeks, but Moises [Caicedo] is ready.”