Is Caicedo truly the best midfielder in the Premier League?

"Sitting here now, going into October 2025, I think we can say he is the best midfielder in the league." That was the verdict of Gary Neville when it comes to Moises Caicedo.

For a player that cost Chelsea £115m, perhaps that is something that should be a given. But now feels like the first time since his move to Stamford Bridge that the Ecuadorian is truly receiving his flowers.

It was clear that from the moment he broke into the first team at Brighton, there was something special about Caicedo. It didn't take long before comparisons to N'Golo Kante were drawn. But, after just one full season on the south coast, the amount of money spent on him added expectations that were, at the time, too great.

• Chelsea news & transfers🔵 | How Enzo Maresca turned things around
• Chelsea fixtures & scores | FREE Chelsea highlights▶️
• Got Sky? Watch Chelsea games LIVE on your phone📱
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Now, over two years removed from that transfer, the weight of the fee has not only been lifted from the player's shoulders, but also people's minds. It has led to a newfound appreciation for one of Enzo Maresca's most important names.

Caicedo has played every minute of Chelsea's Premier League campaign thus far. He has even added a scoring touch too, with his three goals surpassing his total at the club for the last two seasons combined.

It is clear what his value is to the Blues. But does that translate into being the best midfielder in the top flight?

Carragher: Caicedo not better than Rice

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher is another who has been full of praise for Caicedo and his recent form, but he remains adamant that Arsenal's Declan Rice is still superior.

Rice made a similar move up the English football ranks as Caicedo, joining the Gunners from West Ham the same summer that his counterpart switched to Stamford Bridge.

"He wouldn't be the best for me," Carragher said on Sky Sports Extra Time following Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Liverpool.

"If you're talking about an all-round midfield player, I would say Declan Rice would just pip him. I think he's just got an extra little bit of quality with the ball.

"But there's no doubt - not just this season but from Christmas onwards last season - Caicedo has been as good as anybody in the Premier League."

How Caicedo compares with PL's best

The term ‘all-round midfield player’ used by Carragher makes comparing anyone in that area of the pitch so difficult, as there are very few all-rounders in the modern game.

Box-to-box midfielders were once commonplace in 4-4-2 systems, but modern tactics and philosophies now see players occupy more specialised roles - deep-lying playmakers, number 10s, holding midfielders. Very rarely do you find those who can encapsulate aspects of all three.

Caicedo’s touch map in the win over Liverpool shows he certainly isn’t limited to one area of the pitch.

And the data suggests this is not a one-off. Throughout the campaign, few have impacted both ends of the pitch like the Ecuadorian.

While the defensive side of his game remains the strongest, Caicedo ranks in the top five for both passes completed, but does drop off in comparison to Rice and Bruno Fernandes when it comes to passes made in the final third.

Chance creation isn’t Caicedo’s strongest point either - he ranks 52nd among Premier League midfielders - but that isn’t his role in Maresca’s team.

He is tasked with being economical in possession, and few can match his 91.3 per cent pass completion rate, though one of those is Rice, aiding Carragher's claim that he is superior on the ball.

The data shows a gap in attacking output in Rice’s favour, but defensively the pendulum swings the other way - decisively so. Caicedo ranks in the top five of all Premier League midfielders in interceptions (which he leads), recoveries, duels and tackles won.

Rice, on the other hand, fails to make the top 15 in any of those categories.

That indicates a couple of different things. Firstly, Rice's evolution from the person meant to anchor the Arsenal midfield when he first signed to more of a stereotypical 'No 8' is abundantly clear. But it also seems that the reason why is down to the fact he doesn't match up to the more defensively astute players like Caicedo. Not then, and not now.

His development in that area pales in comparison to Caicedo's further up the pitch. Ironically, the aforementioned comparisons to Kante are only being re-emphasised as the Frenchman also had to evolve to become more influential in attacking areas.

If anything, the stats suggest that it is another Englishman who is closest to challenging Caicedo for the best Premier League midfielder tag. That being Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson.

Anderson leads the way in multiple categories at either end of the pitch, including passes completed, duels won, recoveries and possession won.

That form is certainly enough for him to deserve a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup plans. But enough to be considered the best in the league? Most would argue such a debate would be a little premature.

That doesn't apply to Caicedo, though. The impact he continues to have on the world champions certainly puts him at the forefront of those in line for the crown.