Chelsea midfielder told to leave Stamford Bridge in January by international manager

Italy U21s manager has told Cesare Casadei to leave Chelsea in January as he’s unimpressed at the lack of game time that the 21-year-old has got under Enzo Maresca this season. Casadei spent last year working under the current Chelsea boss as he was out on loan at Leicester City in the Championship where he made 36 appearances, scoring three goals and two assists.

He is yet to make a Premier League appearance for Chelsea this season, but has appeared in both the EFL Cup and the Europa Conference League. However, Italy U21 boss Carmine Nunziata believes he needs to leave in order to improve. He told Rai Radio 1 Sport: “Last year Cesare had a good first part with Leicester, then he went to Chelsea and played little.

“This year they kept him there, I advised him to see how it goes until January, otherwise it’s right to look around for another solution. The important thing is that the boys play. If they find a team in Italy, even better.”

Casadei frustrated by lack of Chelsea opportunity

The midfielder has been featuring regularly for the Italian U21s team, having made 10 appearances since November 2022 and has scored twice. The latest goal came earlier this week when he scored in their European Championship qualifier against Ireland. However, despite his strong performances for the national team, Enzo Maresca is yet to give the 21-year-old much of a chance in the Chelsea squad. The midfielder has an issue in the sense that there are several players in front of him in the squad.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have been the first choice options at defensive midfield which is primarily where Casadei plays. So, a loan move away would seem beneficial both for the player and for Chelsea who want to see him develop into a future first-team regular. Chelsea face Liverpool this weekend as they look to make it six wins in all competitions in a row. However, Casadei will likely have to sit on the sidelines yet again as he has been an unused substitute in just two Premier League games this season, not making the squad in the other five matches.

Enzo Maresca keen on keeping hold of Casadei

The midfielder has made two appearances for Chelsea so far this season, one against Barrow in the EFL Cup and the other coming against Belgian side Gent in the Europa Conference League. Chelsea manager Maresca was impressed by the 21-year-old in both of his appearances for the Blues this season. He told the Metro: “Cesare played very good against Barrow and played even better against Gent, I’m very happy with the way he’s playing. “I had Cesare last year and he was playing in a different position. This year we are using him like a holding midfielder. There are many things he can do better, but the good thing is he is going in the right direction.”

There has been no indication from the 21-year-old that he would like a move away as things stand. However, seeing as he will want more opportunities both in domestic football and in the national team, Casadei may decide to seek a move in January. If his game time doesn’t improve at Stamford Bridge, it would make sense for the midfielder to leave on loan and gain valuable experience elsewhere.