Chelsea’s young midfielder, Cesare Casadei, has dismissed the idea of a loan move in January despite limited game time under manager Enzo Maresca. The pair previously worked together at Leicester City last season, and they reunited this summer when Maresca took over from Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea. While there were rumours of a potential loan move during the summer transfer window, no such move occurred. Given Chelsea’s extensive squad, Casadei has only managed sporadic appearances this season and has yet to feature in the Premier League, despite being named on the bench for September’s matches against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. As he prepares for Italy’s Under-21 duties, Casadei spoke about his connection with Maresca and addressed summer speculation regarding his Chelsea future.
Cesare Casadei said, “When I saw Maresca arrive at Stamford Bridge in the summer, I was excited. We already knew each other because he was my coach in the first six months of last season at Leicester City. The transfer rumours about Napoli, Milan, and even Juve? After speaking to the coach, I was 100% sure that the decision to stay would be the best. Maresca told me what he thought, I had no doubts. I stayed here without considering possible loans. Nor do I think so at the moment for the next winter transfer market. I couldn’t be more proud to play for Chelsea.”