Moises Caicedo is one of the most recognisable midfielders in European football and is frequently cited as an example for young players to emulate.
Even in the earliest days of his career, however, Caicedo was impressing scouts to the extent that comparisons were drawn with legendary French midfielder N'Golo Kante.
From Santo Domingo to Independiente del Valle
Born in Santo Domingo and the youngest of 10 siblings, Caicedo developed the competitive, all-action mentality that would later become central to his game.
By the age of 13, he had joined the youth ranks at Espoli, before moving into the prestigious Independiente del Valle academy at 15.
Independiente was, and remains, one of Ecuador's leading development pathways for young players, with an impressive list of graduates who have gone on to successful careers within European and South American football, as well as within the Ecuadorian leagues.
Caicedo's progress was not without setbacks. An anterior cruciate ligament injury stalled his progress at under-18 level, but the midfielder was fortunate that Independiente had the facilities to properly rehabilitate this.
A personalised training regime and nutrition plan helped him return to full strength ahead of schedule. He returned to biting into tackles, winning individual battles and dominating on the ball.
His consistency and ability to influence play across midfield led manager Miguel Ángel Ramírez to nickname him “The Octopus”.
Caicedo began to gain admiring eyes from elsewhere as he captained Independiente’s U18 side to success in the prodigious Copa Mitad del Mundo, the South American club level equivalent of the Toulon Tournament.
Caicedo found himself promoted into the senior side at just 17. From the very first moment, he stood out as an immense prodigy, both in terms of attitude and aptitude, but also in terms of his ability.
The Midfield Role That Shaped Caicedo's Game
His growing importance was underlined when he was flown back for a key league match against rivals LDU before returning to Paraguay for the U20 Copa Libertadores final against River Plate, triumphing over an Argentine side containing future Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernandez.
Caicedo’s role was also evolving too. Although he spent time playing as the traditional defensive midfielder, and sometimes even deployed in the centre of defence, circumstances would result in Caicedo moving into the ‘Number 8’ role.
It was this role that would help define Caicedo's game and fuel comparisons with Kante. The ability to drive up and down the pitch to influence play in all thirds of the pitch, as well as his instinctive ability to prevent danger and spring counter-attacking opportunities led some observers to draw strong comparisons between the two midfielders.
Caicedo had a similar build to Kante, not physically imposing but athletic and powerful, with a sturdy frame and uncanny ability to control the ball and progress with it at speed.
Caicedo's profile rose significantly after one of the most surprising results in recent South American football history. Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo took on Independiente on September 17th 2020 in Quito.
Domenec Torrent, recently appointed as Flamengo head coach, saw his team comprehensively dismantled, culminating in a 5-0 thrashing.
Caicedo dominated the midfield throughout, opening the scoring after beating four defenders with a sublime piece of skill before jabbing the ball into the corner of the net to leave Independiente leading 1-0 at half-time.
For a midfielder that was becoming so synonymous with ball-winning and destructive play, this was the poise and guile that belied his tender age. In many ways, it mirrored N’Golo Kante’s first goal for Chelsea, the neat dummy to send Chris Smalling spinning before tucking into the corner past David De Gea.
Independiente scored a further four times after half-time, but everyone was talking about Caicedo’s performance.
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From Ecuador to the Premier League
By the end of the year, Caicedo had already made his debut for the Ecuador national team, and opened his account for La Tri in a 4-2 win over Uruguay.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for Independiente to keep hold of Caicedo as scouts from leading European clubs continued to monitor the midfielder, whose performances had earned repeated comparisons with Kante.
Manchester United, whom Caicedo had predicted he would be playing for within three years when asked about his ambitions at the age of 17, extensively scouted him and were on the cusp of making an offer to secure him.
Instead, however, Brighton and Hove Albion stepped in. A £4.5 million bid on Tuesday 2nd February 2021 meant that Caicedo became the record sale for Independiente del Valle at the time and it was clear Brighton believed they had secured one of South America's most promising young midfielders.
Technical Director Dan Ashworth summed it up perfectly: "Moises has had a lot of interest from clubs across Europe, which is understandable given how well he has done."
South American football expert Tim Vickery shared a similar view of Moises Caicedo: "If I had enough money I would buy him myself and put him on my mantlepiece."
In 2023, Caicedo commented on the comparisons with two French legends: "Makelele and Kante were an inspiration to me."
After all, three months after signing for Brighton, Caicedo watched N’Golo Kante star as Chelsea claimed the Champions League title.
As Caicedo continues his career at Chelsea, the influence of players such as Makelele and Kante remains clear. Yet the journey that began at Independiente del Valle has already established a midfield identity distinctly his own.
