Eider Gudjohnsen has backed Chelsea star Moises Caicedo to become not only one of the best players in the Premier League but the ‘best midfielder’ of his era.
Caicedo has recovered from an underwhelming start to his Stamford Bridge career to establish himself as one of the most important members of Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Chelsea beat Premier League champions Liverpool to a deal for Caicedo, spending over £100m to sign the Ecuador international from Brighton.
That initially looked to be a questionable decision as Caicedo struggled to adapt but a little over two years later he is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Chelsea hero Gudjohnsen has been impressed with Caicedo’s development and believes there is even more to come from his former club’s £115m signing.
Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Gudjohnsen, who won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, told TNT Sports: ‘The players who play in that position and make the game look easy, those are usually the best players.
‘I would say he’s not only one of the best players in the Premier League – I would go further than that – he has the potential to be the best midfielder in recent years.’
Another Chelsea legend, Joe Cole, backed Gudjohnsen’s assessment of Caicedo and said he is ‘worth every penny’ of his huge transfer fee.
‘I can’t argue with that,’ Cole said in response to Gudjohnsen’s comments. ‘This club has been blessed with players in that position, you think of Makelele and Kante.
‘They know when they see a good midfielder and these fans love Caicedo. There were question marks over him – £100m was a lot of money to spend – but he’s worth every penny.’
Caicedo helped Chelsea beat ten-man Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring his side’s second goal with a deflected long-range strike.
Maresca’s side lost their Champions League opener to Bayern Munich but have bounced back with wins over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and Ajax.
Cole was also complimentary of Caicedo before the Ajax game, insisting he would ‘not swap’ the Chelsea midfielder for anyone else in the game.
‘He’s the best midfielder in the world between the boxes, and he’s improving at both ends of the pitch as well,’ Cole told Paddy Power. ‘I think he’s absolutely brilliant.
‘In terms of breaking up play, playing it through the lines, being intelligent, driving the team forward, and he’s also adding goals to his game, and he scores great goals.
‘I’m struggling to think of somebody I’d want in my midfield better than him at the moment, I really would. And that’s a massive shout.
‘But I wouldn’t swap him for anyone now at Chelsea.’
Chelsea’s emphatic victory over Ajax sees them climb into the top-half of the Champions League table. They return to Premier League action on Saturday against Sunderland.
After Chelsea brushed aside Ajax, ex-England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said: ‘Ajax were waiting for the final whistle since that fifth goal went in after half-time. It has been a soul-destroying game for them.
‘A very good confidence builder for Chelsea. I have not seen a team this dominant in the Champions League for an hour in a game.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.from: elfutbolero.us