Many would regard midfield as the toughest area on the pitch, tasked with contributing to all phases of play, being at the very centre of everything your team does. Chelsea clearly value this area too, already spending £100m on two separate occasions to acquire top-level midfielders, breaking their transfer record twice in the process.
The Blues have an esteemed history of midfield talent in the Premier League era, whether it be midfield destroyers such as Claude Makelele, passing magicians such as Cesc Fàbregas and goal-scoring midfielders such as Frank Lampard.
But one of their very best, especially considering the price they got for him at the time, was N’Golo Kante, bought from Leicester in 2016 for a fee of around £32m.
N’Golo Kante’s record at Chelsea
Kante made 269 appearances for the Blues, scoring 13 times, providing 16 assists and totaling 20,742 minutes played. The Frenchman is considered a huge legend of the club, winning the Premier League and Champions League in his time at Chelsea, alongside one Europa League, one FA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.
The France midfielder has always been praised for his ability to cover ground, winning tackles and often making it feel like there is a 12th man on the pitch, with his incredible engine and work ethic. This was highlighted by a famous quote surrounding Kante, stating “70% of the Earth is covered by water, Kante covers the rest”.
Kante was crucial in Chelsea’s 2020/21 Champions League campaign, earning him the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season award for that year and winning Man of the Match in the final against Manchester City.
One word that has always been associated with Kante is “humble” as fans often praise him for his humility as a person. And now there is another Chelsea star who is drawing comparisons, also being regarded as “humble” by his manager.
Chelsea have found their best since Kante
Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo for a fee of around £115m, making him the British record transfer. The 23-year-old has made 83 appearances since joining in 2023, scoring two goals, providing seven assists and totaling 6,859 minutes played.
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Moises Caicedo vs Tottenham performance |
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Stat |
Caicedo |
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Minutes |
90 |
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Touches |
51 |
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Accurate Passes |
37/41 |
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Long Balls |
5/5 |
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Successful Dribbles |
1/1 |
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Ground Duels Won |
8/9 |
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Aerial Duels Won |
1/4 |
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Tackles Made |
4 |
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Stats taken from Sofascore |
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It was after this performance that Enzo Maresca came out and stated that is”one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world right now”. Making four tackles and winning eight of his nine ground duels in the game, Caicedo protected the back line brilliantly, limiting Tottenham to just two shots on target in the game.
But it isn’t just his work rate and ability to cover ground, winning duels for his team, as Caicedo also plays a huge part in the build-up, making five out of five long passes in the match, and also having an absolute scorching strike chalked off, as Levi Colwill was stood in an offside position.
Whilst it’s tough for a £115m player to fully prove their worth, Caicedo has proven to be a successful signing for the Blues, anchoring their midfield and receiving notably praised, with John Obi-Mikel stating after the win over West Ham United earlier in the season that it was “like a Kante kind of performance” from the former Brighton.
As such, he is definitely proving to be a worthy heir to the Frenchman’s throne.