Chelsea strike 'agreement' over transfer as announcement 'scheduled'

Chelsea are reportedly set to confirm a transfer deal on Tuesday with the end of the transfer window now coming into sight. The Blues have spent much of this window concentrating on exits, trimming their squad further having had a handful of players stuck outside Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Maresca is keeping an eye out for possible recruits, with a winger and a centre-back on the wishlist, but it seems as though Chelsea will not move unless the right opportunity presents itself, especially now that they have recalled Trevoh Chalobah.

On the outgoing front, Maresca has made it clear that Carney Chukwuemeka and Ben Chilwell are on the transfer list, while it also appears as though Renato Veiga will depart. Elsewhere, Cesare Casadei is on his way out, and his departure could be confirmed on Tuesday.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Torino have won the race to land Casadei, beating Serie A rivals Lazio. It’s reported that the fee agreed is £10.4million, although the deal will also include a ‘very high’ sell-on agreement, meaning Chelsea will protect themselves in case the 22-year-old goes on to become a top player.

Chelsea paid around £2million more than what they will receive upfront for the midfielder, but that sell-on fee will mean they will make profit in the long term. Lazio were said to be closing in on a deal for the midfielder, with reports on Monday that the Italian club had agreed a payment formula with the Blues, but it seems Torino have now won the race.

Casadei was signed from Inter Milan, but he does not have any senior experience in Italian football. His hometown of Ravenna is around four hours’ drive from Turin.

As for Chelsea, the money will be a welcome boost as they look to strengthen their squad either in January or the summer transfer window. The Blues aid their Profit and Sustainability balance with each sale, and a number of sales in the summer helped them after years of huge spending. The departures of Chilwell and Chukwuemeka would also help, with both players expected to command significant fees, but the Blues may have to settle for initial loans this month with interest dropping off of late.

Chelsea injury issues

Speaking on Monday night, Maresca confirmed that Chelsea do have injury issues in the middle of the park. He said: “Romeo (Lavia) is more important than Enzo (Fernandez). We don't know yet how long they are going to be out. Hopefully not too long. [It’s] muscle fatigue or muscle problem. We need to wait a little bit. Both were against Bournemouth.

“The Romeo one was the yellow card, I don't know if you remember the yellow card. Enzo, against Bournemouth, was 92 or 93 minutes just the last minutes of the game.”