Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy thinks the Blues have found their new N'Golo Kante in Moises Caicedo.
Kante, who made 269 appearances for Chelsea between 2016 and 2023, is widely regarded as one of the club's greatest-ever midfielders.
Renowned for his tireless work ethic and ability to break up opposition attacks, the Frenchman won almost every major honour on offer during his time at Stamford Bridge, including both the Premier League and Champions League.
Meanwhile Caicedo, who joined Chelsea from Brighton for a British record fee of £115 million last summer, is currently enjoying a fine run of form under new Blues boss Enzo Maresca following a difficult first season in West London.
Speaking on TalkSPORT podcast Inside Chelsea earlier this week, Cundy said he sees similarities between Kante and Caicedo.
“He’s the legs, the energy. He’s a little bit like N’Golo Kante, he closes space and squeezes the pitch high," Cundy, who played for Chelsea between 1988 and 1992, said of Caicedo.
“People think Kante was a defensive midfielder but he wasn't. He was a box-to-box midfielder and what he does in the zone where he protects the back four and goes and fights with Romeo Lavia, he is remarkable," he said. "His lungs, energy, and quality on the ball, he could go on and be Chelsea’s player of the season.”
Caicedo has started Chelsea's last three Premier League games alongside Lavia in central midfield, with Maresca relegating Argentine Enzo Fernandez to the bench.
Commenting on the Blues' new midfield pairing, Cundy said he thinks they are the best duo in the top flight.
“Lavia and him, they are the pivot, they link up so well, Fernandez has a real problem now and won’t start against Arsenal," Cundy said. “Name a better midfield two, and if there is one, there aren’t many more. I can’t think of a better midfield two in the Premier League than those two."
Cundy isn't the only one who is a big fan of Caicedo.
Blues boss Maresca is too.
Speaking about Caicedo after the Blues' 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the weekend, in which Caicedo scored a superb volley, the Italian coach commended the 23-year-old for coming into his own this season.
"Moi is doing fantastic," Maresca said, adding: "Most of the time in football, one plus one is not two. Because he was so good at Brighton, that doesn’t mean that when he joins Chelsea he is automatically going to be as good as he was at Brighton."
"He needs a little bit more time to adapt. Chelsea is a big club, one of the best clubs in the world, so the impact is not easy and when players join Chelsea, it’s not so automatic," he said. "You probably need a bit of time and now Moi is showing how good he was and how good he is this year."
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