Reading FC, Leicester City verdicts on Chelsea's Cesare Casadei were wildly different | OneFootball

Cesare Casadei shone for the Royals and was liked in Berkshire, but didn't get on as well at Leicester.

Cesare Casadei has had two loan spells in the EFL since joining Chelsea.

First making the move to Reading during the 2023 winter window, he then made the summer switch to Leicester City during the same year.

He endured a fairly mixed time during that period, but he has still made a decent number of appearances for the Premier League giants since those two spells, all things considered.

Making 11 top-tier appearances during the second half of the season under Mauricio Pochettino, he has also featured under current boss Enzo Maresca this season.

Considering Maresca recruited him for Leicester last year, it's perhaps no surprise that he has been involved.

Making four Conference League appearances, he also started in an EFL Cup fixture this season, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses with the Blues.

We're looking back in this piece though, as we compare his time at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and the King Power Stadium.

Casadei was a much-needed addition in Berkshire.

Loanees Jeff Hendrick, Tyrese Fornah and Mamadou Loum were all first-team options in the middle of the park, but all three of them didn't make the best impact during their time in Berkshire.

Michael Craig, meanwhile, wasn't an established first-team option yet and Dejan Tetek was still inexperienced, so the arrival of Casadei excited quite a few Royals fans.

His only goal contribution during his time at the club came against Blackburn Rovers, with his long-range strike bringing the Royals level, before the Lancashire outfit went on to win the game.

Despite the fact he wasn't overly effective in terms of goals and assists in the final third, his spell in Berkshire was still viewed as a decent one.

Technically, he was a level above quite a few first-teamers at the SCL Stadium and wasn't in any way responsible for the Royals' relegation at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Many fans would have had him back at the club for another loan spell last term, but once the club was relegated, the chances of a second temporary stay appeared slim.

Cesare Casadei didn't enjoy the best time at Leicester City

In the end, it was Leicester who won the race for Casadei, with the Foxes signing him on loan for the 2023/24 season.

There were big expectations at the King Power, considering the calibre of the Midlands side's squad.

And in fairness to the Italian, he was able to make an impact for the Foxes, scoring a last-gasp winner against Cardiff City on his league debut.

He also scored in a 3-0 win against Rotherham United in December last year, but many Foxes fans were dissatisfied with his performances.

The midfielder even spent a chunk of his game at Leicester on the bench, and with this in mind, it was no surprise when he returned to Stamford Bridge in January earlier this year.

It's a shame for him that he was unable to fully build on his time in Berkshire - because his spell at the SCL Stadium should have provided him with the springboard to go on and be a success in the Midlands.

But it didn't work out for the best in the end - and it's safe to say that the Foxes fanbase and the Royals supporters have a completely different perception of the young midfielder.