Chelsea are reportedly nearing the conclusion of yet another transfer, their fifth this summer, with Inter Milan starlet Cesare Casadei. The midfielder has been courted by the Blues over the last few weeks and their pursuit is expected to end successfully.
The Guardian reported that Chelsea will sign the player in the next few days for a reported price tag of around £12 million.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have had two bids rejected for the Italian, but are expected to land him with this new offering. Ligue 1 club OGC Nice were also targeting him but are understood to have lost the race to Chelsea.
Casadei, 19, hasn’t made his debut for Inter’s first team yet, despite being a regular standout performer in the U-19 division.
He scored 14 goals and provided four assists in the U-19 Italian league last season in 30 appearances. He is a fierce competitor in the middle of the park and is very good in the air with really impressive leaps and heading abilities.
It will be interesting to see whether Tuchel integrates him into the Chelsea senior first-team immediately or sends him out on loan.
He could be loaned out to Serie A as well, but the Premier League giants will have enough days to work out a best-case scenario for the player.
Chelsea eyeing move for Manchester United youngster
The plans at Stamford Bridge seem clear as Thomas Tuchel is trying to invest significantly in the youth.
They have already completed deals for two 18 year olds, goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina from Chicago Fire and Aston Villa’s highly-rated midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.
They are set to seal the deal for Casadei as well by the end of the week, as the aforementioned report claims.
However, Chelsea are not done yet as they have their eyes on Manchester United’s James Garner. He was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest last season and played an important role in helping them earn promotion to the Premier League.
He made 44 appearances in the 2021-22 campaign, scoring four goals and providing eight assists.
Journalist Simon Phillips reported the Blues’ interest in the Red Devils academy graduate. He said:
“James Garner from Manchester United is a player that the club like and (was) scouted heavily last season. The 21-year-old defensive midfielder could well be available this window.”
The Athletic also conveyed that Erik ten Hag does not mind offloading the player and an offer in the region of £14 million will be enough to seal his transfer.