The world is full of young football talents.
They grow up in the streets of São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Abuja or Belgrade, and the world is literally at their feet, so to speak. In our work and research in BabaGol, we discover many players that don’t get the focus or the chance to showcase their true potential.
Here is Juan Gafas, our ‘shadow’ scout, with his weekly talent.
Moises Caicedo
Age: 18
Nationality: Ecuadorian
Club: Independiente del Valle (Ecuador)
Position: Central Midfielder
Market Value: N/A (Transfermarkt)
Why follow him? Moises is one of the biggest talents in the best academy in Ecuador. He is an athletic midfielder, with an excellent ability to win the ball and quickly carry or deliver it forward without giving it away.
Moises is taking his first steps in professional football, but watching him play you might not notice that, as he seems mature, confident and experienced. He reads the plays ahead of his opponents, intercepting four passes per game and immediately looking to play it forward. He rarely gives possession away, with more than 90% of his passes reaching their target. He has also showed some ability to create dangerous situations with the occasional dribble or through ball. In his latest Copa Libertadores fixture, he received the ball near the box, and didn’t shy away from striking it - producing a beautiful goal.
He impressed the first team manager so much that he was flown-in to Ecuador from Paraguay to play a difficult league fixture against LDU Quito. He was in Paraguay with IDV's youth team, playing the U20 Copa Libertadores. Caicedo didn't let his coach down, and justified the cost of his flight ticket - producing an impressive performance, giving the ball away only once and setting up the equalizer in a dramatic away win. Perhaps next time they should fly him first class.
The next day, he was back in Paraguay with the youth team, leading it to an historic U20 Libertadores title, taking on River Plate in the final.
Moises has a combination of excellent physical attributes, mature character, good technical skills and an excellent understanding of the game, all of which should help him in building a successful career.