Moisés Caicedo grew up in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, and came through Independiente del Valle’s academy before joining Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021. After a loan at Beerschot in Belgium, he broke into Brighton’s team in 2022 and became one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders.
Chelsea paid a British record fee of up to £115 million for him in August 2023. After a period of adjustment, Caicedo became the engine of the team, winning the ball back, covering ground and moving play forward quickly.
Caicedo won the Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2025 and is a key player for Ecuador.
Playing style
Caicedo is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. He covers huge distances, wins the ball back through tackles and interceptions, and moves it forward quickly with accurate passes. He is also comfortable dribbling past opponents in midfield. His energy and tactical intelligence allow Chelsea to control games. Although he arrived for a British record fee, which brought pressure, he has become one of the club’s most consistent performers.
International career
Caicedo made his Ecuador debut in 2020, at 18, and has become one of their most important players. He played at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América, and helped Ecuador qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Career in numbers
Across 8 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2019, Caicedo has played 247 matches and scored 18 goals for 4 clubs. His most productive season in front of goal was 2020, when he scored 6 times in 28 games for Independiente del Valle. His busiest campaign was 2025/26, with 50 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has made 1 appearance for Chelsea. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.