Italian starlet to leave Chelsea in January as they seek to trim squad | OneFootball

Italian starlet Cesare Casadei is reportedly among the players Chelsea are open to selling in the January transfer window, although a loan move looks the likeliest prospect for the 21-year-old.

While the Blues have had a positive start to the season, allowing them to finish the year in the Premier League top four, coach Enzo Maresca has relied on a limited number of players so far, leaving many names eager to find more playing time elsewhere.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Stamford Bridge on October 06, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Chelsea open to selling Casadei in January but prefer loan move

According to BBC Sport, Casadei is on a list of at least five players, topped by Ben Chilwell, that Chelsea hope to offload in Maresca’s second transfer window as manager.

However, while the club aims to recoup at least part of its heavy investments in Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka by selling them on a permanent deal, the former Inter midfielder is a different case as they would prefer to loan him out, with Feyenoord and Monza having already expressed their interest in the Italy Under-21s international.

Cesare Casadei of Chelsea passes the ball during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Chelsea FC and KAA Gent at Stamford Bridge on October 03, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The youngster has still to make his Premier League debut this season, as he racked up six appearances across the EFL Cup and the UEFA Conference League.