“You’re in a big club now” - Chelsea legend sends Moises Caicedo wake-up call after calamitous debut
Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has sent a warning to Moises Caicedo after his disastrous debut against West Ham United on Sunday (20 August). The Blues signed the Ecuadorian midfielder from Brighton & Hove Albion for a British record transfer fee of £115 million, beating interest from Liverpool.
Caicedo made his debut for the west London outfit after coming off the bench to replace Ben Chilwell in their 3-1 defeat against the Hammers. He did not have the kind of debut he would have hoped for, conceding a penalty after a clumsy foul on West Ham's Emerson Palmieri.
Desailly has now issued a warning to Caicedo after his display against West Ham, urging the midfielder to have better preparation for matches going forward. The Frenchman said on Sky Sports (as quoted by Metro):
"You don’t need to talk about it. We better start to put the mindset into the system, you need to adjust your implication. You are in a big club now! And in a big club you need to prepare yourself much better for each game. Now you digest the idea of £100million and you are now back home you need to be committed."
The Blues will next face Luton Town in the English top tier on Friday (August 25).
"I can’t see a clear plan" - Former Chelsea star cannot understand why midfield duo did not join Liverpool instead
The Blues have secured Caicedo's services as well as Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer. Both midfielders attracted a lot of interest from Liverpool, who want to rebuild their midfield after seeing multiple departures in the department this summer.
The Reds bid £110 million for Caicedo and £45 million for Lavia. However, Chelsea ultimately won the race, signing the duo for £115 million and £58 million, respectively.
Former Blues star Emmanuel Petit was puzzled why the midfield duo snubbed Liverpool in favor of a move to Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman insists that the Reds currently have a better sporting project than the west London outfit.
He told BettingSites.co.uk (as quoted by Metro):
"I’m not going to say anything stupid but we all know why they went to Chelsea. Sportingly, the best decision right now would be to go to Liverpool. If I am Caicedo or Lavia, I’m going to Liverpool instead of Chelsea because I can’t see a clear plan for what is going on at Chelsea."
Petit added:
"If I was Caicedo I would have signed for Liverpool because I would reunite with Mac Allister and I would play with less pressure because so many of their midfield players have left the club. For me the answer is very easy. If you ask somebody why Caicedo and Lavia decided to go to Chelsea, the answer is just money. Money talks for the clubs and for the players."