Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Inter Milan starlet Cesare Casadei with both N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic currently out injured.
Todd Boehly looks set to seal his sixth summer signing with reports suggesting the Blues have agreed a £12.6million fee with Inter, potentially rising to £16.8million for Casadei. There has been a clear focus on signing players that will be crucial to Chelsea's future after the club secured deals for Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina earlier in the transfer window.
football.london understands the Blues have had two bids rejected for Everton star Anthony Gordon, as Thomas Tuchel looks to add more talented youngsters to his squad. Boehly is keen to continue the Blues' success at youth levels as seen under their previous ownership model, with Chelsea already having poached Omari Hutchinson from Premier League rivals Arsenal earlier this summer.
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Chelsea have added experience and quality to their first team with the signings of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, whilst Chukwuemeka is expected to challenge the likes of Jorginho, Kante and Kovacic for a starting spot. Casadei looks set to take on a similar role to the England under-21 star in Tuchel's squad, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Blues have reached a £13million agreement to sign the 19-year-old from Inter.
The total fee for the deal could reach up to £17million including add-ons, with the Italian youngster set to travel to London and complete a medical this week. Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with Casadei as the club look to secure their sixth summer signing on a six-year contract.
The 19-year-old could be in line for his Blues debut should a deal be completed in time for him to be registered ahead of the clash against Leeds United on Sunday afternoon. Both N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are sidelined through injury, with the former picking up a hamstring strain in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham last weekend.
Kovacic sustained a knee injury in the 1-0 win against Everton and is expected to return to first team training this week, but the game against Leeds may come too soon for his return. Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are expected to feature, whilst Conor Gallagher could be handed his first start under Tuchel in the Premier League.
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