Cesare Casadei: Chelsea’s offer for Inter midfielder doubled by transfer rivals
Robin Bairner
- 10 Aug 2022 13:36 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea’s hopes of landing Inter midfielder Cesare Casadei have diminished with the news that Ligue 1 outfit Nice also want the player.
The 19-year-old has yet to make his debut for Inter’s first team, but he has caught the eye with Italy Under-19 and had been targeted by Chelsea as a long-term solution for their midfield, where both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho’s futures have come under the microscope in recent weeks.
Foot Mercato reports that the Stamford Bridge side have already made an approach to the Nerazzurri for the teenager, offering in the region of €8 million for the player.
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Nice, though, are prepared to go as high as €15m, with the French side enticed by the fact that the player can also feature in all midfield roles.
One stumbling block for the player who scored 16 goals with Inter’s Primavera side last season, though, could be that the Serie A giants want to include a buy-back clause in the deal worth between €35-40m.
Why Nice over Chelsea?
Although Chelsea are clearly a bigger side than the Ligue 1 club, that does not necessarily make them a more attractive prospect.
Nice’s track record of bringing young players into their first team has been highly impressive in recent seasons.
Among the Premier League players who turned out for the Cote d’Azur club include Leicester duo Ricardo Pereira and Nampalys Mendy, as well as Chelsea centre-back Malang Sarr.
Presently on their books, they have Khephren Thuram, one of France’s most promising midfielders, while they have also given fresh life to the careers of Amine Gouiri and Jean-Clair Todibo after they had stalled at Lyon and Barcelona respectively.
Close to the Italian border, there is a strong cultural influence that Casadei may appreciate, while Mario Balotelli enjoyed a fruitful spell at the club.
Nice’s competition for Chelsea over the youngster, then, is not to be taken lightly.
