Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo recently confirmed that he was “almost” an Arsenal player but “waited” until the Blues came calling after rejecting Liverpool’s advances.
Caicedo was a man in demand in 2023. During that year’s winter transfer window the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was reportedly the subject of multiple bids from Arsenal, the second of which was thought to stack up at £70 million ($92.8 million). The Seagulls ultimately held firm, prompting an angry statement from Caicedo’s representative at the time, Manuel Sierra, who huffed: “This is an opportunity that may not be repeated in life.”
Arsenal did indeed shift their focus away from Caicedo, snapping up Declan Rice for £105 million in that summer. Caicedo would move to Chelsea for a fee worth up to £115 million in the same window despite strong interest from Liverpool.
Ahead of Chelsea’s clash with the Gunners on Sunday, Caicedo was asked about his potential move to north London. “I almost did it,” he confirmed to the Daily Mail, “but now I’m here and I’m so happy. The timing was good.”
Liverpool reportedly had a £115 million bid of their own for Caicedo accepted by Brighton only to be turned down by the player. “I waited until Chelsea came for me,” the boyhood fan of the Blues revealed. “People laughed. They said I chose the wrong place, but sometimes you need time to adapt to a big team. I needed that.
“I want to give everything to this club because they didn’t doubt me. I chose Chelsea because they have ambitions. I want to win trophies—more trophies with this club.”
Ex-Reds boss Jürgen Klopp claimed that Liverpool were “lucky” to not sign Caicedo in 2023, yet the all-action midfielder would hardly be turned down by many clubs these days—even if he doesn’t quite accept all the acclaim coming his way.
Caicedo: I’m Not the Best Midfielder in the World
Caicedo bluntly disagreed with the suggestion that he was the best midfielder in the world—a claim his manager Enzo Maresca and many others have justifiably made. When asked to name a superior peer, the humble Ecuadorian shrugged: “So many.
“I don’t want to say to the world that I’m the best because there’s no truth to that. In my mind, I’m the best version of myself, if you know what I mean? It’s different when you say you are the best in the world to the world.
“There are so many good players in my position. I’m doing my best. But I need to show more because I feel like I can do more. With goals, with assists, I can feel it.”
Rice is perhaps the player most closely challenging Caicedo for this lofty status. The Arsenal star was full of praise for his Chelsea counterpart ahead of Sunday’s clash at Stamford Bridge and the affection is clearly mutual.
“It’s an exciting battle between us and one I’ll be ready for…” Declan Rice is full of praise for Caicedo, they'd be perfect together.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 28, 2025
How many of the best teams would Rice get into? pic.twitter.com/ZbbytE6HV1
“Declan, everybody knows how good he is,” Caicedo gushed. “It will be a great battle, me and him. It’s very nice, very special and like he said, we play in different positions.
“People compare him and myself but I’m so happy he’s doing really well. I enjoy watching him play because he’s so good. I want to play against the best defensive and attacking midfielders in the world and he’s one of them.
“I’m waiting. It’s nice that people compare us, but we are not fighting. He wants to do well. I’m going to fight. I’m ready. Everybody is ready. I’m looking forward to it.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Moises Caicedo Reveals Truth Behind Failed Arsenal, Liverpool Transfers.
