Alan Shearer has given a glowing verdict of reported Chelsea target Moises Caicedo.
Speaking on the BBC yesterday, Shearer was full of praise for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder ahead of his World Cup debut for Ecuador.
Caicedo and his compatriots were involved in the competition’s curtain raiser against Qatar on Sunday.
Caicedo helps Ecuador to World Cup win
Ecuador very quickly doused the home nations’ fire by scoring twice in the opening 30-minutes.
Former West Ham United forward Enner Valencia could’ve had a first-half hattrick, had his maiden goal not been ruled out by VAR.
Valencia did eventually bag a brace to ensure Qatar’s dream start concluded pretty quickly.
Their opponents were simply superior in every area of the park.
In Ecuador’s midfielder, Caicedo kept things tidy and ticking over, recycling possession and also putting in the hard-yards defensively.
He was involved in the second goal, having chased the ball down and setting-up his teammate for a delightful delivery onto the head of Valencia.
Brighton’s £4.5m signing did a bit of everything during the match, a multifunction performance Shearer anticipated pre-game.
“He’s going to be a top player and he could be one that really stands out. He’s only 21 and he’s the heartbeat of this young side,” said the former striker on Caicedo ahead of Ecuador’s 2-0 victory.
“He made his debt two years ago and the manager asked him to man-mark Lionel Messi which tells you the trust he has in him.
“He can do a little bit of everything, he’s athletic, he can tackle, he can pass, he can read the game. Scores one or two goals.”
Chelsea like Caicedo
Chelsea may have been paying close attention to Caicedo’s World Cup duck.
Todd Boehly is apparently eager to reunite the 21-year-old with Graham Potter, the pair having worked together at Brighton.
Potter’s current midfield probably requires a re-fresh.
N’Golo Kante’s repeated absence through injury is a concern, whilst Jorginho is no spring chicken anymore.
Jorginho and Kante’s contracts expire in June, giving Boehly even more reason to locate replacements.
If Caicedo carries on at the World Cup, it won’t only be the Blues chasing his signature.