Chelsea receive new Moises Caicedo verdict as £115m problem explained

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has heaped praise on Moises Caicedo following his impressive performance against Manchester United on Sunday.

The midfielder scored a stunning volley midway through the second half to equalise for the Blues at Old Trafford and earn Enzo Maresca's side a 1-1 draw as they continued their impressive start to the Premier League season.

Caicedo endured a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge after his £115m move from Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2023, though the Ecuador international has been one of Chelsea's standout performers this campaign.

And Potter, who oversaw Caicedo's development during his debut Premier League campaign at Brighton & Hove Albion after he arrived at the club in 2021, believes Chelsea are finally starting to see the get the best out of the most expensive player in Premier League history.

“He’s a really nice person. Humble, wants to learn and improve and fight for the team. As a human being he’s top, really pleased for him,” Potter told Premier League Productions.

“I think it’s only natural that there’s pressure. The team is trying to function better than it was, he’s come in at £100m or whatever it was and you expect a lot for that type of money.

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“Moises isn’t really that type of player. Most of the time he’s the guy who lets other players play better, gets in good positions, can deal with big spaces, wins the ball back. Now you’re seeing the quality that he has.”

The 23-year-old, who signed an eight-year deal with the Blues last August, has started every Premier League game for Maresca's side this season.

Speaking after the player netted his first goal of the season on Sunday, the Italian said: "Since we arrived, Moi is doing fantastic. The players are human beings, it’s normal to have little ups and downs. Moi, since we arrived, is improving a lot.

"We are trying to spend time with him, and all the rest also, to try and improve them. Moi is showing how good he is.

'Most of the time in football, one plus one is not two. Because he was so good at Brighton, that doesn’t mean that when he joins Chelsea he is automatically going to be as good as he was at Brighton.

'He needs a little bit more time to adapt. Chelsea is a big club, one of the best clubs in the world, so the impact is not easy and when players join Chelsea, it’s not so automatic. You probably need a bit of time and now Moi is showing how good he was and how good he is this year."