Moises Caicedo starting to show Arsenal what they're missing after Chelsea improvement

Had Mikel Arteta got his wish, Arsenal would person been lining up astatine Stamford Bridge connected Sunday with Moises Caicedo successful their broadside arsenic opposed to coming up against him.

Arsenal were tracking the midfielder erstwhile helium was astatine Brighton and earlier his £115million determination to Chelsea past year.

Arsenal swooped for West Ham skipper Declan Rice, coughing up £105m, nevertheless successful a imagination script they would person signed the England prima and Caicedo.

That was the sound coming retired of the nine successful January 2023, erstwhile they were moving connected a woody for Caicedo. The anticipation was they could motion Caicedo past and adhd Rice successful the summer, creating a almighty midfield partnership.

In the end, the numbers progressive made that impossible. Arsenal’s opening bid for Rice was astir £90m, portion their archetypal connection for Caicedo was astir £60m. Both players yet went for northbound of £100m.

It is not hard to spot wherefore Arteta was keen connected the thought of partnering Caicedo and Rice, adjacent if pulling disconnected some deals was ever going to beryllium difficult.

Arsenal person transformed into a carnal squad nether Arteta and a pairing of Caicedo and Rice, alongside Martin Odegaard, would person tied successful with that evolution.

Caicedo struggled astatine times during his debut play astatine Chelsea, but helium is present flourishing into the subordinate Arsenal and different rival clubs, specified arsenic Liverpool, thought helium could be.

The 23-year-old is presently ranked No1 successful the Premier League this play for tackles won. He is 2nd for duels won and 3rd erstwhile it comes to interceptions.

Caicedo has besides shown helium has endowment connected the ball, too. No Chelsea subordinate - not adjacent Cole Palmer - has completed much palmy passes successful the last 3rd successful Premier League games this season.

Even during his struggles past season, Caicedo bushed Rice erstwhile it came to full tackles, duels won and shot recoveries. Rice came retired connected apical erstwhile it came to guardant passes and interceptions, which is possibly a effect of Arteta moving him up the transportation into a No8 position.

Rice excelled successful an precocious relation during the 2nd fractional of past play and it is casual to spot however Caicedo could person slotted successful down him astatine the basal of Arsenal’s midfield.

The No6 presumption is an country Arsenal request to inject younker into going forward, with some Jorginho and Thomas Partey implicit 30.

Partey, successful fairness, has impressed this season. The Ghana planetary has managed to shingle disconnected the wounded problems that person plagued him successful the past and helium is arguably successful the champion signifier of his Arsenal career.

A showdown with Caicedo connected Sunday, however, volition beryllium a existent trial of that.