Cesare Casadei's agent confirms £11m Chelsea departure as Lazio move nears | OneFootball

Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei is set to complete a move to Serie A side Lazio, with his agent confirming the move on social media.

The Italian has struggled for game time since arriving from Inter Milan, spending the beginning of last season on loan at Leicester City.

Upon his recall last January, Casadei failed to earn a place in Mauricio Pochettino's starting XI, and may have thought things would change when his former manager Enzo Maresca joined from Leicester.

However, Casadei's minutes have come in the form of Conference League game time, with his last appearance coming in the Blues' win over Heidenheim, where he was sent off.

Throughout January, the Italian was linked with a return to Serie A as Torino were believed to be leading the race to sign Casadei.

However, his agent has now all but confirmed a move to Lazio, Torino's Serie A rivals, as he took to social media.

Posting a photo at an airport, Francesco Facchinetti - one of Casadei's representatives, wrote: "Roma arrivo".

This translates to: "Rome, I have arrived", the city which Lazio play their football.

BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella posted the photo on social media, as he reported that a deal between Chelsea and Lazio is believed to be close.

Talks around £11 million with a 'substantial sell-on clause' have been discussed as it appears that Casadei's time at Stamford Bridge has come to an end.

When Maresca arrived at Chelsea, Casadei heaped praise on the Italian but was unable to earn his place in the starting XI this season.

“I was thrilled when I saw Maresca arrive at Stamford Bridge," he told Tuttosport, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “The coach was very clear from the first day, and everyone understood his ideas.

"Being a compatriot is handy because of the language; I can immediately understand his tactical instructions. However, I am treated the same way as anyone else. There are no privileges.

“It was pretty hard under Pochettino because I only made a few appearances as a substitute. 11 games, but only 71 minutes on the pitch. I wasn’t too happy. Everyone would like to play more."

Now, as he seeks game time, Casadei will return to Italy and hope to earn his place in Lazio's team.