Moises Caicedo is increasingly likely to stay at Brighton with Chelsea yet to break the bank for the midfielder, with the Blues needing to pay around the £100m mark for the 21-year-old

Pochettino told why Chelsea must sign Caicedo as Brighton make transfer demand (Image: Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images for Premier League)×

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One statistic in particular proves why Chelsea must sign Moises Caicedo this summer. The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently as Mauricio Pochettino looks to further bolster his midfield.

football.london understands that Chelsea have already had three bids for Caicedo rejected, but they remain confident they can secure his signature. It’s believed that the Seagulls are determined to keep the Ecuador international unless their £100million valuation is met.

While the west Londoners continue to negotiate a fee with Brighton, football.london understands that Caicedo has verbally agreed personal terms over a potential transfer – but nothing has been signed yet. As talks prolong with the new Premier League season just around the corner, Chelsea have begun to broaden their search for an alternative defensive midfielder.

However, while a cheaper option may be financially more attractive, one statistic proves that the Blues will be getting their money’s worth. According to WhoScored, Caicedo recorded the third-best passing accuracy (88.8%) of all midfielders in the English top-flight last season with a minimum of 10 starts.

Enzo Fernandez took the silver medal with a passing accuracy of 89.1%, while Rodri claimed top-spot with 91.3%. As proven last term when Manchester City won the treble, Pep Guardiola’s side were at their best when the Spaniard was patrolling midfield.

Pochettino already has Fernandez at his disposal but, with Caicedo alongside the Argentine, Chelsea would significantly improve their chances of winning the Premier League – let alone securing a Champions League qualification place. Speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino claimed claimed that the Ecuadorian would be ‘one of the signings of the summer’ if the Blues signed him.

“Caicedo fits the bill. He allows Enzo Fernandez to play higher up the pitch, which I think is best suited,” said the 60-year-old. “It’s the [Claude] Makelele role, it’s the [N’Golo] Kante role that he can do.

“He’s such a great athlete. He gets around the pitch, robs the ball off the opposition all the time, and he sets the play up. I think it will be one of the best signings of the summer if they can get that one over the line.”

Soucre: football.london