EPL: Chelsea seal terms with £12m midfielder as succession plan takes shape

Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Inter Milan midfielder Cesare Casadei.

The Blues have discussed a contract until 2026 with the 19-year-old. They still need to agree on a transfer fee, but a bid including a £12million fixed fee plus further add-ons could be enough to get their man.

The pursuit of Casadei comes as part of Chelsea’s plans to take their academy to the next level after a decade of success under previous owner Roman Abramovich.

Academy director Neil Bath has been tasked with improving the setup even further by the Boehly-Clearlake group and has been given significant funds to build on the triumphs of recent years, when the Blues won a host of trophies at youth level while producing plenty of senior players for their own first team and several clubs across Europe.

Casadei’s arrival would follow the high-profile signing of Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal, who currently has significant loan interest from Reading. Carney Chukwuemeka also joined from Aston Vila for £15m with a further £5m potentially due in add-ons.

The 18-year-old made his first appearance in Chelsea colours against Fulham in the Premier League 2 last night in a strong development team that also contained first-teamers Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and Ethan Ampadu. However, 17-year-old Luke Harris proved the match-winner with a hat-trick at Kingsmeadow to stun their west London rivals.

Much is expected from Chukwuemeka, who also bolsters Chelsea’s midfield ranks with concerns around the contract situations of both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. Casadei and Chukwuemeka are part of a strategic plan to cover the duo, who could leave on free transfers next summer.