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Chelsea defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo has been one of the standout performers for Enzo Maresca in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 24-year-old star, who signed for a club-record £115m from Brighton in 2023, has scored three goals in 11 matches in the top-flight, whilst averaging 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game, per Sofascore, which is a club-high.

Caicedo offers an exceptional box-to-box presence with the goal threat and defensive quality that he provides in the middle of the park, which makes him such an important player for Maresca.

The Ecuador international arrived at Stamford Bridge as a proven Premier League star, thanks to his time with Brighton, and the club are now reportedly looking to repeat that feat.

Chelsea want to sign one of the best midfielders in the Premier League

In theory, signing players from other clubs in England is preferable to signing from abroad because they do not need time to adapt to the league or country, which helped Caicedo to hit the ground running when he first arrived at the Blues.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are interested in a deal to sign Nottingham Forest central midfielder Elliot Anderson to bolster their ranks in the middle of the park.

The Blues are set to fight it out with Manchester United and Manchester City to land the England international in the January transfer window or next summer, after extensive scouting work done on the Tricky Trees star.

The Mirror reported, earlier this month, that Nottingham Forest are expected to demand a fee of up to £120m for the midfield star, and it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea are willing to pay that much for Anderson.

Why Chelsea should sign Elliot Anderson

The Conference League champions should push to win the race for the Forest star’s signature in the January transfer window because he could be Caicedo 2.0 at Stamford Bridge.

Like the Ecuador international, Anderson would arrive at the club as a Premier League-proven star and as a club-record signing, if he costs as much as the reported £120m.

The 23-year-old star has racked up 92 appearances in the division, per Transfermarkt, and was described by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, which shows what a former Champions League winner and the current England boss thinks of his talent.

That opinion is also held by former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who recently sang Anderson’s praises in the clip above.

xAG

0.15

Top 22%

Shot-creating actions

4.18

Top 5%

Progressive passes

8.82

Top 1%

Passes into the final third

8.55

Top 1%

Successful take-ons

1.27

Top 3%

Tackles won

2.64

Top 24%

Passes blocked

1.43

Top 7%

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder’s statistics in the Premier League this season make it easy to understand why the likes of Tuchel and Carragher rate him so highly.

The England international has proven himself to be one of the top-performing midfielders in the division, particularly with his use of the ball at the base of the midfield, and that is why he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea.

Pairing Caicedo and Anderson at the base of the midfield could be an exciting prospect for Maresca, as the former brings defensive quality and a goal threat, while the Forest ace offers incredible ball progression, mobility, and creativity.

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If Chelsea do decide to go through with a January or summer swoop for the English star, his proven quality in the Premier League could allow him to hit the ground running in the same way that Caicedo did.

While things might not have ended as well as they could have, there are few figures more legendary in the history of The Arsenal than Arsène Wenger.

The Frenchman ushered in a period of immense success in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the club have not even come close to matching since.

However, with how things are going this season, that could soon be about to change.

Moreover, it would be fair to say that Mikel Arteta now has a star in his squad who’s undoubtedly the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

Arsenal's best players since Wenger retired

When looking at the best players signed by, or developed by, Arsenal since Wenger stepped away from management, there are more than a handful of names you could pick out.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, for everything he did wrong, Unai Emery signed off on William Saliba’s move in the summer of 2019, and then just a year later, Arteta made his best defensive acquisition by bringing in Gabriel Magalhães from LOSC Lille.

Together, the centre-back pairing have been nothing short of exceptional over the last few years, and as things stand this season, have conceded just three goals in all competitions and should they win it, could go down as the best defensive partnership in Premier League history.

Ferdinand & Vidic

120

0.71

Keown & Adams

97

0.73

Campbell & Toure

59

0.73

Terry & Carvalho

85

0.76

Lescott & Kompany

58

0.76

Gabriel & Saliba

93

0.78

Van Dijk & Matip

72

0.81

Moving into the middle of the park, and, in this conversation, it’s impossible to ignore club-record signing Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain made his way to the Emirates under a tremendous amount of pressure, but from his first game to today, he’s proven to be worth every penny.

From his ability to break up play, carry the ball from deep, score important goals and deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy from set-pieces, he, without a shadow of a doubt, is a “world-class” midfielder.

Staying in midfield, and while he had a down season last year, and has had some terrible luck with injuries this term, Martin Odegaard deserves to be in this conversation.

The Norwegian international was made club captain in the summer of 2023, won back-to-back Player of the Season awards, and, at his best, can be utterly mesmerising to watch on the ball.

However, with all that said, when it comes to the club’s best player since Wenger left, there is one star who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal's greatest player since Wenger retired

While fans will have their own favourite players, it would be hard to deny that, as things stand, Bukayo Saka is the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

The Hale End icon made his first team debut under Emery in a Europa League game away to Vorskla Poltava in November 2018, and then earned his first start at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

However, it’s been under Arteta that the Englishman has transformed from a versatile utility player who often popped up at left-back, into one of the best right-wingers in world football.

Not only that, though, but the 24-year-old game-changer has become the club’s talisman and the face of its rejuvenation over the last few years.

It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise then that, following his hamstring injury and surgery last season, the Gunners became far less potent in attack.

Appearances

274

Minutes

20713′

Goals

74

Assists

72

Goal involvements per match

0.53

Minutes per goal involvement

141.86′

In his career to date, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 74 goals and provided 72 assists in 274 first-team appearances, totalling 20713 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games, or every 141.86 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he’s made 21 appearances at left-back.

As if his record at club level wasn’t enough, he has also won 46 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored 13 goals, provided nine assists and been named Player of the Year twice.

Ultimately, there is still much to come from Saka, but based on his already astounding record and the fact that he has become the club’s poster boy, it’s clear that he has been Arsenal’s best player since Wenger left the dugout.

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The incredibly exciting talent could end up being as good as Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal.

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