Cesare Casadei believes he can become an “important” player for Chelsea, after revealing it was his decision not to leave the club on loan again this season.
The Italian midfielder will start on Thursday when Chelsea open their Conference League campaign against Belgian side Gent at Stamford Bridge.
Casadei, 21, spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Reading and played under Maresca on loan at Leicester in the first half of last season before being recalled by Chelsea in January.
He has made Chelsea’s squad for two Premier League games so far this season, and his only appearance during this campaign to date came in last week’s 5-0 win over Barrow in the Carabao Cup.
“From the moment I decided to stay here, my goal is to become a Chelsea player — an important player for this team,” Casadei said on Wednesday.
“I always try to give my best to the team, to try to train hard every day and keep improving, having the goal to become an important part of this team.”
He added: “It was my decision [not to leave on loan this season]. Last season was not very easy for me, so at the start of this season I was thinking about what was the best solution for me.
“From the moment I spoke to the manager, I was 100 per cent sure that the decision to stay was best for me to improve and for my career.”
The former Inter Milan academy player insisted: “I have always wanted to play for Chelsea. We are one of the biggest teams in the world so I could not be more proud to play for Chelsea.”
