Caicedo 2.0: Chelsea lining up move for 'one of the best PL midfielders'

Enzo Maresca has only been at Chelsea for nearly seven months, already implementing a very clear system on the pitch, which had seen relative success for the first six months.

However, in the past month, things have taken a slight turn, with the Blues struggling to pick up points, now sitting sixth in the Premier League after 23 games played.

The midfield configuration has been extremely important for Maresca this season, utilising the likes of Moises Caicedo, Roméo Lavia and Enzo Fernández in different ways, using inverted fullbacks to platform his high-value midfielders in the best way.

However, due to the injury issues of Lavia, Maresca hasn’t had much choice to be flexible with his midfield, which has presented some injury scares for the likes of Fernandez and Caicedo, as the Blues now look a little light in this department, as they aren’t looking to bring back loanees in this area.

Therefore, could the Blues look at adding a different type of midfield profile alongside the likes of Caicedo and Fernandez, who is more of a natural number six, brings some extra physical attributes but can still suit Maresca’s style of play.

Chelsea’s search for a midfielder

According to reports from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have a real interest in Brighton midfielder, Carlos Baleba, who is being monitored closely for what would likely be a summer move.

The Blues, according to the report, sounded out the availability and valuation of Baleba earlier this month. The suggestion is that they would have to ‘massive overpay’ in order to get their man before the looming deadline, although it is hinted that such a move is not entirely out of the question.

The 21-year-old arrived from Lille for a fee of around £23.2m in 2023, replacing Caicedo who joined Chelsea that summer. But could he follow a similar path, with the Blues landing the midfielder for a large fee?

Baleba has made 23 appearances for Brighton this campaign under new manager, Fabian Hurzeler, scoring three goals, providing two assists, contributing to six clean sheets and totalling 1,770 minutes played.

How Baleba compares to Caicedo

Caicedo has made 25 appearances for Maresca’s side this season, scoring one goal, providing two assists, contributing to five clean sheets and totalling 2,149 minutes played.

The 23-year-old has become absolutely key under Maresca, with the Italian stating: “He’s very humble, everything we ask he is there to do it. I’m loving his performances”.

Carlos Baleba vs Moises Caicedo comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)	Baleba	Caicedo
Goals + Assists	0.26	0.13
Progressive Carries	1.60	0.97
Progressive Passes	4.50	5.31
Pass Completion %	88.4%	88.7%
Passes into Final Third	4.32	6.55
Tackles	2.90	2.92
Blocks	1.54	1.28
Interceptions	1.89	1.46
Ball Recoveries	6.75	6.06
Aerial Duels Won	1.36	1.06
Stats taken from FBref

When comparing the two midfielders’ underlying numbers this season, you can see how good Baleba has been, with Caicedo being widely praised as one of the best performers in the league this season.

Baleba is averaging more defensive actions per 90, winning more aerial duels, recovering the ball more frequently and even adding goals and assists for his side at a higher rate.

Charlie Adam, the former Liverpool man, has praised Baleba already this season, stating the youngster brings “something that’s different from what’s been in the Premier League“.

Many believe if his form continues, he will be the next big-money move from Brighton to a top-six club, with analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him “one of the best midfielders in the league” at present.

Adding Baleba to Chelsea’s midfield ranks would allow Maresca to unleash Caicedo a little bit further forwards, pressing higher up the pitch as he did with Brighton, but also impacting the game more on the ball in the final third with his passing quality.

Having seen the success of landing the Ecuadorian from the Amex, repeating the trick with his heir apparent could prove a real masterstroke for the Blues.