Exclusive: Robbie Savage rates £115m Caicedo to Chelsea transfer; values himself in today’s market

Robbie Savage thinks Moises Caicedo will be “absolutely terrific” for Chelsea alongside Enzo Fernandez in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.

The Blues have agreed a fee that could rise to £115m for the Ecuador international with the 21-year-old set to sign an eight-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

There had been interest from Liverpool, who also had a bid accepted by Brighton for their midfielder, but Caicedo told Jurgen Klopp’s men that he has his heart set on a transfer to Chelsea.

And Savage thinks Caicedo will work brilliantly together with Fernandez at the base of the Chelsea midfield this campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Football365, Savage said: “Caicedo looks like he’s going to Chelsea for a British record transfer and I’ve got to say what a fantastic signing that would be. I thought Enzo Fernandez at the weekend was absolutely terrific for Chelsea.

“If you are playing with a double pivot and with a ten, Caicedo and Fernandez, what a pairing that would be. That would give Chelsea the platform, the stability to let their full-backs and their attacking players go forward and be creative in the final third. I think that would be a brilliant, brilliant signing for Chelsea.

“I thought Chelsea were very impressive against Liverpool at the weekend, dominated possession but just in that final third [they struggled]. So I think Caicedo and Fernandez would be two great sixes and give Chelsea a real platform.”

Some of most expensive transfers this summer have been for defensive midfielders and Savage thinks the importance of that role in modern football has seen the transfer value of those players skyrocket.

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Savage added: “Why have players in that position become so expensive? We see Declan Rice go for over £100m. I just think the way teams want to play now, playing out from the back, that single pivot or that double pivot becomes so important. It gives you a platform to get the ball and give it to the more attacking players in the side.

“Listen, was I a six or an eight? I went for £3.1m many, many years ago. And I suppose the question is how much would I be worth in today’s transfer market?

“It’s not for me to say. But, captain of four Premier League sides, listen I’m self-deprecating no doubt about that, but I knew my worth to my team, I knew my worth to my team-mates, I knew my worth to the dressing room. And seeing transfer fees in this day and age you’ve got to be at least looking at £30m.

“Whether people agree with that or not, I don’t really care. So, again, it’s such a vital position now to give teams the platform and usually with the player in that position we’d say ‘get the ball back and give it to the more creative, more talented players’.

“But if you look at what Declan Rice can do, you look at Fernandez, you look at players in that position in world football, look at De Jong, look how good he is, whether he’s a six or an eight.

“So Caicedo it’ll be a wonderful signing for Chelsea for a British record transfer.”