Chelsea receive official offer for wonderkid midfielder

Tom Weber

• Updated: 1 Jan 2025 11:48 GMT
• 3 min read

Torino have submitted a bid for Cesare Casadei, according to Italian media.

The Chelsea midfielder is all but guaranteed to depart Stamford Bridge this month. With the January transfer window now open, Casadei will make his belated exit after being convinced by Enzo Maresca to stay in the summer.

Since joining the Blues in 2022, the Italian wonderkid has struggled for minutes despite encouraging loan spells at Reading and under Maresca at Leicester City.

READ MORE: Chelsea target blockbuster moves for Premier League duo

Casadei was already open to leaving in the summer and even signed with a new agency but he later revealed that a talk with his coach tipped the balance in favour of staying.

This was evidently not a good decision as Casadei has so far not made a single Premier League appearance this term, featuring exclusively in the Carabao Cup and Conference League.

Casadei heading back to Italy

It is expected that the 21-year-old will head back to his native Italy before long, though his destination is still not known. Seemingly the entirety of Serie A is keen on the talented midfielder.

Struggling AC Monza have been heavily linked with Casadei for weeks, while more recently Lazio appeared to be the favourites to land his signature. Now, however, Di Marzio reports that it is Torino who have launched an official bid for him.

It is claimed that the Turin outfit have submitted an official offer for the youngster, though the details of the proposal have not been revealed. What is known, however, is that the club have made a bid to sign him permanently rather than only on loan.

READ MORE: Chelsea recall TWO loanees in January transfer hint

The two parties are said to be eyeing a deal in the vein of the transfer that saw Real Madrid's Nico Paz join Como in the summer, with the Spanish champions negotiating several buy-back and sell-on clauses.

Torino could be looking at Casadei as a replacement for star midfielder Samuele Ricci, who has been heavily linked with a Premier League move in recent weeks, with Man City and Liverpool said to be among his admirers.

Lazio remain interested in Casadei but have yet to make a bid, according to the above-mentioned report.