Mauricio Pochettino is already facing a major squad decision before his first pre-season at Chelsea has officially begun. The Blues will fly to the United States of America on Monday, July 17 for the start of their pre-season tour with a clash against Wrexham due to be played two days later in North Carolina.
Just under two weeks ago, Pochettino formally started his role as the Blues new head coach as numerous players were welcomed back on different days to kick off training preparations for the 2023/23 season.
Christopher Nkunku, Malo Gusto and Nicolas Jackson were just some of the new signings undertaking their first training sessions in a Chelsea shirt, but they were also joined by a young duo in Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei. Both were signed in the last two transfer windows but spent the 2022/23 season out on loan.
Santos looked set to sign for Palmeiras but that temporary switch broke down before it was agreed he would re-join boyhood club Vasco de Gama who had just been promoted to the Brazilian Serie A. Work permit issues prevented Santos from training once he had joined Chelsea, but those issues are no longer in play after he also took part in the Under-20 World Cup.
Joining him at that tournament was Casadei, off the back of a loan spell at Championship side Reading, who captained Italy to the final. Despite finishing as top scorer and being announced player of the tournament, Italy fell at the last hurdle as they lost 1-0 to Uruguay.
The duo are now back in west London and focused on life with Chelsea, but their immediate futures may again lie elsewhere. Casadei had already received three approaches from Championship clubs by mid-June and now one of those teams looks set to formally make a move.
According to The Telegraph , Leicester are working on a deal to bring Casadei to the King Power Stadium on a season-long loan. To sign Casadei, Chelsea paid Inter Milan £12million up front with £4million available in add-ons and awarded him a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
The pre-season tour of the US could have proven to be valuable for Pochettino to get to know the 20-year-old, but agreeing the move quickly if the Foxes make an approach will likely be more important. Experiencing the bulk of pre-season with his potential new manager and team-mates will allow Casadei to bond and form relationships.
Leicester is also one of the best possible options for the Chelsea man as they will likely dominate most Championship games and there is a clear gulf new boss Enzo Maresca is trying to fill in Casadei's favoured position following the departure of James Maddison.
In recent years, Reece James, Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount are just a few names that have thrived away from west London and then been able to transition rather seamlessly into the first-team squad and Pochettino will be hoping Casadei can do the same.
Understandably, the Argentine may want to watch Casadei in action but it is highly likely he will gain more experience playing in a difficult league every week in comparison to being a squad player in the Premier League.