Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly vying for Inter Milan’s 19-year-old midfielder Cesare Casadei. Blues felt they had beaten their London rivals by bidding £7m for the player, but their offer was quickly rejected.

Published: 03 August 2022


The Gunners are reportedly considering hijacking Inter’s deal for the player. Serie A heavyweights want £17m for a man who has never featured in the main squad. Maurizio Viscidi recently recommended watching Casadei.

The 62-year-old rated the 6ft1in star’s attacking qualities in the box higher than Nicola Barella and Davide Frattesi. Viscidi has watched Casadei‘s development from U15 to U19.

“We’ve had him since he was 15,” he continued. He’s grown. He’s a modern midfielder because of his ability to make offensive runs and score goals. He’s better than Frattesi or Barella at avoiding area penalties. He’s strong in the air, which is rare among younger players.

He said, “Given his ability to enter and make a presence, he’s the Azzurri’s best young player.” He’s never played for the senior team. Casadei hasn’t played for Inter despite his talent. He impressed Simone Inzaghi last season.


casadei cesare


The youth team’s midfielder scored 16 goals and was named player of the year. Viscidi has a hunch about why Casadei hasn’t debuted. “Our coaches are assessed exclusively on outcomes, so they don’t risk younger players,” he remarked. If clubs were businesses, they’d cultivate young players.

“Clubs that don’t think business-like are at fault.” Viscidi understands that Casadei may benefit from playing elsewhere given Chelsea’s interest. “Chelsea wants to make a major investment in him, like Ajax with Lucca or PSG with Verratti,” he said.

“It’s a step toward Europeanizing Italian academies. I congratulate the players who play because they’ll grow. La Repubblica reports that Todd Boehly’s Chelsea was rejected for £6.7m. Italian media suggest Arsenal wants to hijack the trade.

Because of this, Inter believes they might fetch £17m at an auction. Inter needs £60m to comply with FFP guidelines, thus Casadei may be permitted to leave for less.


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