Exclusive: Chelsea summer plans for Leicester City target revealed

Football League World

·17 July 2023

Exclusive: Chelsea summer plans for Leicester City target revealed

Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei is part of Mauricio Pochettino's pre-season plans but Leicester City hold a real interest and have been made aware that he is still expected to be available for loan this summer, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

The 20-year-old caught the eye at the U20 World Cup in Argentina - winning the golden boot with seven goals and two assists as he took Italy all the way to the final where they lost to Uruguay.

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Leicester 2023 summer transfers

Casadei has been strongly linked with a move to the King Power Stadium this summer as new Foxes boss and former Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca continues to build his squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship season.

Leicester were relegated last term and have seen a number of their key players leave as a result, including James Maddison, who was sold to Tottenham for a second tier record fee of £40 million.

Those departures have meant money is there to spend for Maresca and he's certainly looked to make the most of it. Conor Coady (permanent, Wolves), Callum Doyle (loan, Man City) and Harry Winks (permanent, Tottenham) have all joined already and the Italian coach is not done yet - with goalkeeper Mads Hermansen likely to be the next to arrive in a £6 million deal.

Cesare Casadei latest

Recent reports have indicated that Leicester want to sign Casadei on a season-long loan deal.

Now, FLW sources have revealed that the Italian midfielder is part of Pochettino's pre-season plans at Chelsea.

However, FLW understands that Leicester's interest in him is real and that they have been informed that he is still expected to be available to go out on loan in the summer transfer window.

When does Cesare Casadei's Chelsea contract expire?

Casadei signed a six-year contract when he joined Chelsea from Inter Milan in a £17 million deal last summer.

That means the midfielder, who is seen as a player with huge potential at Stamford Bridge, remains under contract there until 2028.

He spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship with Reading, featuring 15 times as he unsuccessfully bid to help them avoid relegation to League One, but has since made it clear that his eventual aim is to break into the Chelsea first team.

Casadei told Italian outlet Sportsweek (via the Evening Standard): "“I’ve just finished the season and I want to disconnect from football for a few days. Afterwards, it will depend on the options that are on the table and my decisions but I have a five-year contract with Chelsea.

“I’ve embarked on a journey that isn’t a short-term mission. The club is investing in young players and I aim to be part of its project.

“My ambition is to wear the shirt and play in the Premier League, which is currently the number one league in the world.”