Brighton Reluctant on Moises Caicedo Deal

With Brighton digging their heels in over their valuation on Moises Caicedo, and the opening game of the 23/24 Premier League season rapidly approaching, it might be time for the Blues to start looking at alternatives.

The Ideal Partner for Enzo Fernandez

Caicedo is a fantastic player, already one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and would have made a lot of sense for Chelsea as a partner for Enzo Fernandez in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield next season.

The most important thing for Chelsea with regards to who they sign is that they fit well with Fernandez, who is undeniably the best player signed during their £600mil splurge last season.

A Close Look at Fernandez’s Ideal Partner

Finding a player who fits with Fernandez shouldn’t be an issue, as the Argentine is malleable and can adapt to those around him, but ideally, you want to pair him with someone who takes much of the defensive and ball-winning burden from him and allows him to dictate games.

Chelsea had tried to sign Manuel Ugarte earlier in the window, and the Uruguayan appeared almost tailor-made to play next to Enzo. Ugarte is one of the best and most relentless ball-winners in Europe. He has an incredible engine and can operate as both a sitting shielding defensive midfield, or a roaming destroyer who goes hunting for the ball.

Examining Potential Alternatives: Florentino Luis

If Ugarte was the blueprint of what they wanted, then perhaps the profile of Ugarte is what they need to replicate to find the right partner for Enzo. Perhaps Enzo has already played with that player.

Florentino Luis formed a fantastic partnership with Fernandez during their six months together at Benfica, with the pair dominating games in the Primeira Liga and the Champions League before they were split up.

Florentino’s Stats and Partnership with Enzo

Florentino isn’t quite as dynamic as Ugarte but he’s no slouch and like the Uruguayan, he’s a ball-winning machine. When compared to all midfielders in Europe last season he ranked in the 97th percentile for tackles, the 99th percentile for interceptions, the 98th percentile for dribbles tackled, and the 99th percentile for combined tackles and interceptions, while averaging 3.48 tackles and 2.67 interceptions per 90 according to FBRef.

The synergy between Florentino and Enzo was obvious from early on, with the duo seeming to have an unspoken understanding of what the other was going to do.

Florentino’s Playing Style

On the ball, Florentino isn’t an expansive passer but he doesn’t try to be. He plays to his strengths and seems aware of his own limitations. He takes the ball off the opposition and gives it to his teammates, that’s his role in a nutshell. And he’s very very effective at it.

Why Chelsea May Pursue Florentino Luis

With an established understanding already in place with Fernandez, it might make sense for Chelsea to pursue the Benfica midfielder as they look to replace Ngolo Kante, a player Florentino has long been compared to because of his ball-winning ability.

With only three weeks left in pre-season, Chelsea don’t have a huge amount of time left to bed in new players so bringing in a player who can slot in next to his partner and perform his specific role immediately would make a lot of sense.