Chelsea are probably the biggest spenders in the last two transfer windows. The Blues have recruited some of the top talents from all across Europe. Most of these players are youngsters, who have impressed at the start of their careers. However, most of these players have failed to make an impact and Chelsea are struggling in the bottom half of the English Premier League.
A few injuries have also added to the misery of the manager. The Blues recently called back their young Italian midfielder, who was on loan at Leicester City in the EFL Championship. Cesare Casadei, an Italian U-21 national player, who impressed in the U21 Euros came back to London. The 21-year-old was impressive during his time at the Foxes and now he has been brought back to settle into this young Chelsea squad.
A key figure in the midfield
The Italian midfielder made 25 appearances for Leicester City in the 2023-24 season. He only made 11 starts. Cesare Casadei was guarding Leicester’s backline in the appearances he made for them. Casadei was handy in winning duels for the Foxes. He had a winning rate of 57.3% for defensive duels, 68.8% for aerial duels and 51.6% for loose ball duels. In addition, he made around three interceptions per 90 minutes.
In addition, the youngster made some big recoveries in the attacking half as well. Cesare averaged around 5.8 recoveries per 90 minutes and 40% of these recoveries were made in the attacking half. By looking at the above viz we can observe that Casedei made a few dangerous and a few counter-pressing recoveries. Most of these recoveries were made in the centre of the park.
Creative side
Most midfielders like to make runs from the centre of the park and carry their team. Cesare Casadei also made some progressive runs and most started in the defensive half.
The youngster played a crucial role in Leicester City’s perfect start to their promotion campaign. After getting relegated, the Foxes needed some spark to make a comeback. Casadei provided two assists for his team.
He averaged around 35.6 passes per 90 minutes and recorded an 85% accuracy rate. These include 4.3 passes to the final third and 0.85 to the opposition penalty box. The progressive pass map shows that a few passes were made to find a teammate on the flanks and in the final third.
In addition to two assists were three goals scored by the midfielder. Casadei attempted 26 shots and had a 31% accuracy rate. He took around 2.2 touches in the opposition penalty box and scored all goals from a close range from inside the penalty box.
Chelsea’s young midfielder will look to make an impact on his return to the Stamford Bridge.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine