Chelsea are reportedly interested in Inter Milan starlet Cesare Casadei, with Thomas Tuchel continuing his pursuit of young talent.
Following Carney Chukwuemeka's arrival from Aston Villa and the signing of 18-year-old goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, Chelsea's latest link shows Tuchel's intent on building for the future. With an ageing midfield, the Blues could make a move for Italian midfielder Casadei, according to the Evening Standard.
Casadei hasn't made one senior appearance for Inter yet, but is highly rated in Italy. The report claims the 19-year-old has been 'extensively scouted' by Chelsea academy boss Neil Bath, and could cost in the region of £20m.
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So, if the Blues were to make a move for the young midfielder, how long could it take for Casadei to break into the Chelsea squad? We simulated the next three seasons to find out.
Cesare Casadei's Chelsea future simulated
To make this work, we arranged for Casadei to join Chelsea before the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season, using Football Manager 2022 to run the simulation. We also transferred Chukwuemeka to the Blues, as well as their other signings this summer.
2022/23
Casadei was sent on loan to Championship side Bristol City in his first season, making 44 appearances for the Robins whilst scoring 13 goals and grabbing 11 assists. The Italian won their player of the year award, averaging a rating of 7.42 per game.
Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League during the 2022/23 season, claiming Champions League qualification for the following campaign. Man City won the league, whilst second-placed Spurs finished only two points ahead of the Blues.
In the simulation, summer signing Raheem Sterling struggled for form, only scoring nine goals all season. Chelsea ended up with the ninth best goalscoring record in the league, scoring just 59 goals.
It wasn't a great season in the cup competitions for Chelsea though. Their best cup run came in the FA Cup, reaching the semi-finals and losing 2-1 to Manchester United.
A 5-0 aggregate loss to Manchester City saw Tuchel's side easily beaten in the Champions League quarter-finals, and a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City knocked the Blues out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round.
2023/24
In his second season following his successful loan spell, Tuchel opted to keep Casadei at the club to develop him further. The Italian played mostly with the U23 set-up, but he did make 14 appearances for the first team - seven of them starts as he scored three and assisted one, averaging a rating of 7.2 per game when he played.
Two of his goals came in the Premier League, both from the bench, including a late winner against West Ham. In the league, the Blues improved in the 2023/24 season, jumping one position and up to third.
Tuchel's side earned three points more than the previous campaign, finishing just five points behind surprise champions Man United. The goals poured in for Chelsea during the 2023/24 season as well, with the Blues scoring 15 more goals than the previous campaign.
The improved performances still saw no trophies won, with the Champions League semi-finals the furthest cup run of the season. Tuchel's side were knocked out of Europe to Bayern Munich, losing 3-2 on aggregate. Casadei scored as Chelsea lost 3-2 to Wolves in the FA Cup fourth round, whilst a penalty defeat to Everton ended the Carabao Cup campaign in the same round.
2024/25
Following the departures of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, Casadei broke into the Chelsea first team as a starter in the 2024/25 season. Tuchel trusted the Italian to become a regular in his XI, making 51 appearances in all competitions.
The midfielder rotated regularly with Mateo Kovacic in midfield, starting 33 of his 51 games. In his 51 appearances, Casadei scored 15 goals and grabbed eight assists, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the league.
The Italian grabbed 10 goals and five assists in just 23 Premier League starts, averaging a rating of 7.25 in all competitions. Compared to other midfielders in the Premier League, only Kevin De Bruyne, Curtis Jones, Thomas Partey and Declan Rice had higher ratings.
At the end of the season, FM22 released the Best XI from the Chelsea squad, using player statistics, league data and other measures to complete the team. Here's Chelsea's Best XI for the 2024/25 season, according to our simulation.
Full Chelsea Best XI (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Pavard, Koulibaly, Chalobah; James, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz; Broja.
In his second full season with the Blues, Casadei made the Best XI, starting in a midfield partnership with fellow youngster Chukwuemeka. Interestingly, the midfield partnership of Casadei and Chukwuemeka was the youngest in the Premier League during the simulation.
The Blues continued to show progress each season in the league, this time ending the Premier League campaign as runners-up - though they came close to being crowned champions. Chelsea, leading the league with one game to go, faced Man City on the final day, with just two points separating the sides.
But, Man City won the game 2-0, overtaking the Blues and lifting the trophy. Chelsea ended the season as the league's second top scorers and with the best defence, conceding just 30 goals.
Despite the Premier League disappointment, Tuchel's side did win two trophies in the 2024/25 season - including a third Champions League trophy. Havertz scored the only goal of the game as the Blues won 1-0 in the final against Man United.
Chelsea also won the FA Cup, with Casadei scoring along with Broja and Timo Werner to hand Tuchel's side a 3-1 win over Everton. Chelsea drew 2-2 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, but Newcastle eventually knocked the Blues out on penalties.
Overall, FM22 predicts that Casadei may have to go out on loan initially, but the youngster could then be integrated successfully into the Chelsea side, with the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Casadei scored big goals in the simulation to help Chelsea win trophies, and if he could perform in real life like the simulation predicted, the Italian could become an integral part of the Blues squad for years to come.
Do you think Cesare Casadei could be a success at Chelsea? Let us know in the comments.
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