Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo has been recognized as the top holding midfielder under the age of 23 in the world for the previous season by the CIES Football Observatory. Caicedo joined Chelsea in 2023 for a British record fee of £115m after impressing at Brighton & Hove Albion. Despite concerns about his price tag and Chelsea’s struggles on the pitch, Caicedo’s performances in the 2023/24 season earned him a rating of 86.7 out of 100, surpassing all other young holding midfielders.
The CIES Football Observatory rankings also included Eduardo Camavinga (83.1), Warren Zaire-Emery (81.6), Kobbie Mainoo (80.2), and Ryan Gravenberch (79.0) in the top five, but none scored higher than Caicedo.
Critics pointed out that Camavinga played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League double, while Zaire-Emery featured prominently for Paris Saint-Germain, who won Ligue 1 and Coupe de France. Mainoo’s breakthrough at Manchester United contributed to their FA Cup triumph.
However, it appears that Caicedo’s performances aligned more closely with the criteria used to determine his high score.
At just 22 years old, Caicedo has been an integral part of Chelsea’s Premier League campaign this season, playing almost every minute except for Carabao Cup matches and one leg of their Conference League play-off tie. He even captained the team twice against Bournemouth and Servette.
Caicedo’s recognition as the best young holding midfielder highlights his talent and potential within world football.
