Enzo Maresca: Chelsea star is the ‘best in the world’

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes that Moises Caicedo is currently ‘the best defensive midfielder in the world.’

The 23-year-old has, at times, come under intense scrutiny, albeit often through no fault of his own. Caicedo is the most expensive player in Premier League history as Chelsea shelled out €134 million to sign him from Brighton in 2023.

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Caicedo endured a mixed bag of a debut season under Mauricio Pochettino as he featured prominently but, naturally, struggled to live up to his inflated price tag.

There were suggestions that he did not gel well with Enzo Fernandez – formerly the Premier League’s most expensive player – in Chelsea’s midfield, while it was also pointed out that he did not have a proper pre-season due to his drawn-out transfer saga.

Either way, Caicedo went into the current campaign as something of a disappointment, but he is starting to justify Chelsea’s huge investment.

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Maresca hails Caicedo

Caicedo has been virtually ever-present for Chelsea in the Premier League this season. He has started every single one of their 30 games to date and played the full 90 minutes in the vast majority of them.

New coach Enzo Maresca has relied heavily on Caicedo, who looks much more comfortable playing alongside Fernandez this season. Indeed, the Ecuardor international has been an absolute machine for the Blues this term.

He again starred for Chelsea when they beat London rivals Tottenham on Thursday. Although he had a rare goal chalked off, his performance was nevertheless noteworthy, with Maresca waxing lyrical about his midfield dynamo.

“I think in this moment he’s one of the best, or the best defensive midfielder in the world. He’s doing fantastic. The best thing about Moi is that every day he’s working serious, he’s very humble, he’s very kind, he’s polite, he’s a fantastic guy.”