Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has been named the best under-23 holding midfielder in the world for the 2022/23 season by the CIES Football Observatory.
Caicedo, who joined Chelsea for a British record fee of £115m in the summer of 2023, made his mark in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion before his high-profile move. Brighton had initially agreed on a deal with Liverpool, but Chelsea swooped in with a higher offer to secure the Ecuadorian international.
Despite having just one full Premier League season under his belt at the time, the significant transfer fee raised some eyebrows, especially as Chelsea struggled on the pitch after his arrival. However, Caicedo’s performances throughout the 2023/24 season earned him an impressive rating of 86.7 out of 100 from the CIES Football Observatory, placing him above other top young talents in the same position.
In the rankings, Caicedo outperformed notable players such as Eduardo Camavinga (83.1), Warren Zaire-Emery (81.6), Kobbie Mainoo (80.2), and Ryan Gravenberch (79.0), who made up the rest of the top five.
While critics highlighted the achievements of players like Camavinga, who helped Real Madrid secure a La Liga and Champions League double, and Zaire-Emery, who played a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 and Coupe de France victories, Caicedo’s individual performances seemed to align more closely with the criteria used to generate his top score.
Since joining Chelsea, the 22-year-old has been a consistent presence in the team, playing nearly every Premier League minute this season and even captaining the side in matches against Bournemouth and Servette.