Soccer

Rising star Moises Caicedo joins Chelsea in record-breaking transfer, says 'God is faithful'

By Joshua Doering Aug 16, 2023
Moises Caicedo completed his move to Chelsea on Aug. 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Instagram/@moises_caicedo55)

Moises Caicedo attributes his Chelsea fandom to watching midfielders like Claude Makélélé and N’Golo Kanté play for the club. Growing up in Ecuador, Caicedo dreamed about following in their footsteps.

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That dream came true Monday when the 21-year-old was officially introduced as a Chelsea player following his transfer from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. The reported $146 million transfer fee Chelsea paid to acquire Caicedo makes him the most expensive player in Premier League history.

“I’m here to be a great player, to help the team, to become a legend at this amazing club,” he said in his first interview as a Chelsea player. “Every year I have to do my best for this amazing club, one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Caicedo joined Brighton from Ecuadorian club Independiente during the January 2021 transfer window but was loaned out to Beerschot in the Belgian Pro League for the first half of the 2021-22 season. He returned to Brighton in February 2022 and made his Premier League debut April 9, 2022, picking up an assist in a 2-1 win over Arsenal. He spent the remainder of the season getting comfortable at Brighton.

He cemented himself as a starter for the 2022-23 season, and by the time he returned from an impressive display at the World Cup in November, he was one of the most sought-after players in the world.

Caicedo appeared in all but one of Brighton’s Premier League games in the 2022-23 season and helped lead the team to the best campaign in club history, finishing sixth and qualifying for the Europa League.

Throughout Caicedo’s amazing journey, his faith in God has been a key component. He lists Joshua 1:9 in his Instagram bio and gave glory to God on Monday in his post celebrating his arrival at Chelsea.

“A day to remember,” he wrote in the caption (translated). “God is faithful and fulfills your dreams. No words needed.”

Caicedo also thanked God in a conversation with his mom that was posted to Chelsea’s social media channels.

Though it was widely assumed that Caicedo would be moving to Chelsea this summer, the deal took longer than expected to get done. Speaking to 90min in July, Caicedo expressed confidence in God’s plan for him as his future remained up in the air.

“I don’t get carried away by emotions,” he said, via Sportskeeda. “I’m enjoying time with my family for now. There is pressure, but I am calm. I am waiting for whatever God decides. He will know what is best for me.”

Caicedo also relied on his faith when he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee during his time at Independiente. The injury sidelined him for 10 months, and he leaned on God as he worked to get back on the field.

“Sometimes I cried,” he said in a radio interview, via The Athletic. “Nobody knew. I would go to my room and just start crying out of frustration, out of sadness. It was very hard, but I didn’t stop believing. I trusted in God and prayed a lot.”

Chelsea’s squad has undergone a dramatic overhaul in the past 12 months under a new ownership group led by Todd Boehly, who is also part of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ownership group. The club hired former Tottenham and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino in May and drew its opening game of the 2023-24 season against Liverpool on Sunday.

Caicedo could make his debut in this Sunday’s visit to West Ham. The game kicks off at 11:30 a.m. ET.

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