You need to have something special to trump an influential World Cup winner who is also the top scorer for a club heading into Europe for the first time.
Moises Caicedo is special, which is why he pips Alexis Mac Allister and others as my choice for Brighton & Hove Albion’s player of the season.
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The bar has never been higher and the competition has never been greater to pick one player out from the crowd, especially at a club structured in such a way — with a low and carefully balanced wage bill — that is all about the group, rather than individual stars.
Brighton have qualified for Europe under Roberto De Zerbi as a team. They’ve had 17 players on the score sheet across all competitions. Four of those have reached double figures in goals, headed by Mac Allister with 12.
The gifted technician, who played such a strong part in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar in November and December, is one of many viable alternatives for the prize alongside his midfield accomplice Caicedo.
A case can be made for each of the players on 10 goals: Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson and Pascal Gross.
Mitoma has been a revelation in his debut season in England with his pace, dribbling, directness and end product. The Japanese left-winger has accumulated 18 goal involvements in 39 appearances (10 goals, eight assists).
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland prospect Ferguson, still only 18 years old, has also made a stunning impact. He has pretty much all of the attributes you’d desire in a modern day centre-forward, apart from experience.
And Gross’s high-level consistency and ability to adapt to different positions make him one of the first names on De Zerbi’s team sheet.
The shortlist is long. Dependable skipper Lewis Dunk has been better than ever under De Zerbi, while Solly March, the other longest-serving member of the squad, has been injected with self-belief by his Italian boss, turning talent into regular contributions where it matters most — the 28-year-old has provided eight goals with the same number of assists in 39 outings.
Pervis Estupinan, Caicedo’s Ecuador international colleague, is another worthy candidate. The athletic left-back has defended and attacked with speed, strength and stamina in his first season in the Premier League since a £15million move from Villarreal last summer.
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So what makes Caicedo stand out — just — amid such an array of credible options?
My mind was made up by the way Caicedo performed as an emergency right-back earlier this month in clean-sheet wins at home to Manchester United (1-0) and away to Arsenal (3-0).
De Zerbi had previously turned to Gross to fill the void created by injuries to Joel Veltman and Tariq Lamptey, yet the German joined the casualty list for United’s visit, so Caicedo occupied a role he’d never played in before.
You would never have guessed that was the situation, such was the competent manner in which he handled Marcus Rashford.
De Zerbi said afterwards: “I thought about changing to play with three defenders but I didn’t want to change. Caicedo can play everywhere. He’s a top, top player.”
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At Arsenal, with Gross back in the team in midfield, Caicedo was accomplished again. He coped initially with Gabriel Martinelli until he made an untidy challenge, which led to the Brazilian falling awkwardly on his ankle.
Martinelli limped off after 20 minutes. Former Brighton team-mate Leandro Trossard, sold to Arsenal in January, didn’t get much change out of Caicedo either following his introduction from the bench.
But Arsenal didn’t make a £70million bid for Caicedo in January with the intention of using him as a right-back.
It’s Caicedo’s attributes as a central midfielder, in a double pivot with Mac Allister — or with Gross, on occasions when the Argentinian has been pushed further forward — that have attracted the attention of the Gunners, among others.
Caicedo stops Mason Mount in his tracks during Brighton’s win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in April (Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Caicedo is quick, mobile and combative, with a good and accurate range of passing. He’s developed an expertise in regaining possession with his anticipation and tackling.
Fulham’s Joao Palhinha is the only player to have made more tackles than Caicedo in the league this season (144 to the Brighton man’s 99). Although not necessarily noted for aerial prowess, Caicedo has a good leap, too.
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Goals aren’t his currency. The only one he’s scored this season came in the final game in charge of former head coach Graham Potter, a 5-2 victory at home to Leicester in September.
It’s a facet of his game where there is space for expansion. Caicedo has a powerful engine to get up and down the pitch, and he can shoot when the opportunity arises in advanced areas.
What makes Caicedo particularly appealing is that he’s only 21, so there’s room for further growth.
He wanted to join Arsenal in January but Brighton weren’t prepared to lose him midway through the season.
The summer might be different, although Arsenal or somebody else will have to pay an estimated £90million after Caicedo signed a new contract in March until 2027, with an option for the club of a further year. His skill set is rare to find, hence the high value.
Caicedo’s idol growing up was N’Golo Kante. He has all the tools to reach the level of Kante when Chelsea’s Frenchman was in his injury-free prime.
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)
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