Jason Cundy has heaped praise on Moises Caicedo and believe he is even more important to his manager Enzo Maresca than Cole Palmer.
England’s new Player of the Year is enjoying anothe stellar campaign at Stamford Bridge and continues to make a mockery of Manchester City’s decision to sell him 18 months ago.
While Palmer’s star remains very much in the ascendancy, Caicedo is finally beginning to justify the club record fee the Blues spent to bring him to west London from Brighton.
The combative midfielder struggled under Mauricio Pochettino last term but is now thriving under Maresca in a makeshift right-back role.
Caicedo’s redeployment has allowed Maresca to utilise Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez in tandem and the results have been devastatingly effective.
‘Chelsea were good for a kicking by everyone over the media because of the money spent, ‘the billion pound bottle jobs’, it was hard for anyone to look at Caicedo’s performances and really credit them,’ Cundy told talkSPORT.
‘I’ve been talking about Caicedo for a while now. This boy is the best midfielder in the country right now.
‘I think he’s our most important player. People will argue Palmer, I understand that. I think he’s our most important player because there’s so much he can do and does do.
‘The second goal we scored against Brentford. Win the ball, give it to Enzo, pass, finish.’
‘We’ve not seen the likes in the middle of the park winning the ball like that since N’Golo Kante. I’m not just talking about Chelsea, I’m talking about the league.
‘Liverpool fans will say Gravenberch, and I get that because of the influence he’s had on their up-turn in results, but right now Moises Caicedo, wow, what a player.’