Lampard 2.0: Chelsea chasing PL star who looked “better than Caicedo”
Chelsea have been a club who have been the home to numerous legends over the years, but none have quite managed to reach the levels achieved by Frank Lampard.
The midfielder joined for a reported fee of just £11m back in 2001, but very few people would have predicted his rise to stardom during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He racked up a total of 648 appearances for the Blues, managing to find the back of the net on 211 occasions – subsequently making him their club-record goalscorer in their history.
Such a feat is staggering for a midfielder, with his long-standing impact in the first team helping the club win three Premier League titles during his 13 years in West London.
However, in the present day, boss Enzo Maresca is currently on the hunt for a player who could potentially reach similar levels during their spell in the first-team.
Chelsea on the hunt for huge PL talent this January
Over the last couple of days, Chelsea have made it clear they intend to add another central midfielder to their ranks, leading them to the hunt for Elliot Anderson.
The Nottingham Forest star has caught the attention of numerous top-flight clubs, subsequently leading to Sean Dyche’s men placing a £100m asking price on his head.
The Blues aren’t currently alone in the pursuit of the England international, with Manchester United and Manchester City both closely monitoring the 23-year-old’s progress.
However, he’s not the only young English talent in the sights of Maresca and the board, with Kobbie Mainoo another player who they’re considering a move for this winter.
According to the Telegraph, the Blues are now firmly in the race to land the 20-year-old star who’s yet to make a league start at Old Trafford in the 2025/26 campaign.
The report also states that the club view him as an immediate and long-term option, but the Red Devils are currently unlikely to sanction a permanent exit despite his lack of action.
Why Mainoo could provide competition for Caicedo at Chelsea
After his £115m move to join Chelsea back in the summer of 2023, Moises Caicedo was always going to have huge pressure to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
Two and a half years on from such a transfer, the Ecuadorian international has made himself a crucial player for the Blues, often being the go to man in the midfield department.
The 24-year-old has already racked up 118 appearances across all competitions, subsequently helping Maresca win the UEFA Conference League last season.
However, despite his midfield role, he’s often caught the eye in attacking areas, as seen by his long-range strike in the victory over Liverpool early this season.
Caicedo has certainly developed into a world-class all-round option at the heart of the side, with the former Brighton man only going to get better with experience.
However, he could be joined by Mainoo in the years ahead, with the Englishman potentially being the perfect player to operate alongside him in a box-to-box role.
Such a move would be an expensive one, but they would be getting a top-level talent, with former professional Danny Murphy already singing his praises despite his tender age.
After his breakthrough in the 2023/24 campaign, the former Liverpool player claimed that the United star looked like a “better footballer than Caicedo” after a meeting between the two sides.
The pair’s respective stats from last season do make for some interesting reading, with Mainoo actually managing to better the Blues star in numerous key areas.
How Mainoo & Caicedo compared in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)
Mainoo
Caicedo
Games played
25
38
Minutes played
1651
3351
Progressive carries
1.2
1.1
Key passes
1.1
0.8
Tackles won
64%
62%
Take-on success
46%
45%
Carries into opposition box
0.6
0.1
Aerials won
1.1
0.9
Stats via FBref
The United star managed to register more key passes per 90 in the Premier League, whilst also achieving a higher take-on success rate in the process.
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Such numbers highlight the 20-year-old’s incredible ability in possession, perfectly backing up the claim that he could be the ideal box-to-box option next to Caicedo.
His dominance in possession was highlighted in his better tallies of carries into the opposition 18-yard box, whilst also registering more progressive carries per 90.
However, without the ball, Mainoo also showcased his ball-winning ability, subsequently winning more of the tackles he entered than the Ecuadorian international.
A move for the Englishman would be yet another incredible piece of business by the Blues hierarchy, potentially handing Caicedo the perfect long-term partner he craves.
The prospect of the pair featuring alongside one another is certainly a frightening one, with such a duo handing the club the best chance of returning to Premier League glory.
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