There has been a lively discussion in English football lately about who is the better midfielder, Arsenal’s Declan Rice or Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo.
Both players were at the centre of attention during the 2023 transfer window.
Arsenal spent £105 million to bring in Rice, setting a new British transfer record.
Not long after, Chelsea topped that figure by completing a £115 million move for Caicedo.
Almost two years later, who is thriving most?
Roy Keane gives his verdict on the Declan Rice vs Moises Caicedo debate
Both Rice and Caicedo have strong claims to being two of the top midfielders in Europe right now.
They are crucial to their teams, regularly turning in top-level performances.
After Caicedo’s standout goal against Liverpool, Gary Neville suggested that the Chelsea midfielder is ahead of Rice.
That sparked plenty of debate online, with Arsenal fans quick to push back against Neville’s view.
Roy Keane has since weighed in, offering a different perspective from Neville. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, he stated: “I would go with Rice every day of the week.”
“He’s just got that package, a little bit extra on all the other parts on Caicedo, I think. I’d go with Rice.”
Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice were close to being teammates at Arsenal
Caicedo was in high demand during his time at Brighton, with plenty of clubs taking notice. Arsenal were one of them, and they made a move for him in January 2023, before Chelsea got involved.
The Gunners were looking for midfield reinforcements at the time, and the Ecuadorian star even posted on Instagram in an attempt to push through a move.
However, Brighton held firm and would not let him leave during that window, and Arsenal ended up signing Jorginho from Chelsea instead.
It is interesting to think how different things could have looked if that deal had gone through. There is a good chance Caicedo would have been playing alongside Rice now instead of against him.
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