(Video): €20m talent scores incredible 18th goal for international youth teams
Yesterday at 02:38 PM
Chelsea have issues in their midfield right now – there's a lack of goals for one thing. For all of their qualities, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are never going to be regular scorers.
They do have one in the squad however- Cesare Casadei has a phenomenal eye for goal, on a Lampardian or Ballackian level. He's just netted another for Italy's Under 21s against France. As usual it's nothing fancy – just getting into the right areas and making no mistake when the chance falls to him.
Casadei's €20m move to Stamford Bridge in 2022 always seemed a risky one given the talent coming in alongside him, and so far it hasn't worked out for him, just as it hasn't worked out for Carney Chukwuemeka, who arrived at almost the same time for a similar fee.
You can see the goal in the clip embedded here:
Cesare Casadei scores vs the France U21s pic.twitter.com/ZoSYe99wbM
— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaIoanArmy) November 15, 2024
[Footage from L'Equipe]
Casadei can't live off international minutes forever
Casadei is one of those players who is at the moment just very happy that international football exists. He's been a star through Italy's youth teams since he was a kid, even as he's struggled for consistent club football at the top level: he's closing in on FIFTY age group caps for his country since Under 16 level, with an amazing 18 goals to show for it.
These trips to play with the Primavera teams are vitally important to keep him happy, confident and with match minutes in his legs. The occasional start in the Conference League isn't going to cut it. Sooner or later Chelsea are going to have to decide what to do with him – and given the talent we've already got in midfield, plus the impending return of Andrey Santos from loan, a future away from Chelsea looks a lot more likely for former Inter man Casadei.
