Frank Leboeuf now suggests Moises Caicedo is as influential as one Ballon d’Or winner

Add as preferred source on Google

It is fair to say that Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf was pretty impressed with Moises Caicedo’s latest performance.

Moises Caicedo has been one of Chelsea‘s best players this season and helped his side to beat Leicester City 2-1 on Saturday.

He started alongside Enzo Fernandez in midfield, with the latter scoring Chelsea’s second goal of the game.

After the match, Leboeuf praised Benoit Badiashile, who was making his first start in the Premier League this term, and Caicedo.

• READ MORE: ‘Amazing’ Chelsea player is actually the highest-rated player in his position this season

Frank Leboeuf puts Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo in Rodri bracket

Rodri is probably the best midfielder in the Premier League and perhaps the most influential player in the division.

Since his injury, Manchester City have just not been the same, losing 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.

The kind of impact the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has had at City, Leboeuf has now suggested that Caicedo is making the same at Chelsea.

Speaking on ESPN FC after his former club’s win against Leicester, the Chelsea legend said: “We talked about Rodri, we talked about Martin Odegaard in the middle of the park. If you have somebody like Caicedo, like you had N’Golo Kante before, it makes a difference. The guy is a game-changer.”

Caicedo has also caught Alan Shearer’s attention, with the Newcastle United hero naming him in his Premier League Team of the Season so far.

How do Moises Caicedo and Rodri compare?

Last season, Caicedo made more tackles and interceptions than Rodri in the Premier League.

The Chelsea man recorded 91 and 37 respectively, while the City star registered 70 and 26.

With Caicedo being more of a ball-winner compared to Rodri and playing in a team that is not as dominant as City, that is to be expected. The latter’s biggest strength is recycling possession and that can be seen in his passing statistics.

For example, during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, the 28-year-old completed 3365 passes, more than any other player in the division.

Ultimately, Caicedo and Rodri are two different types of defensive midfielders, but both remain super important to their respective teams. Again, City cannot cope without Rodri, and Chelsea would probably be in the same position if they lost Caicedo.