Profiling City’s New Loan Star Casadei
Set for a season-long spell at King Power Stadium, the highly rated 20-year-old is making his second appearance in the Sky Bet Championship following last term's loan.
Rewinding back to his roots, Casadei was born in Ravenna, a province within Northern Italy, and grew up in nearby Milano Marittima. Starting out at local side Cervia, his footballing journey continued at AC Cesena.
Still a youth player, Inter Milan became his next destination from 2018, progressing through the ranks with the Italian giants, winning the U17 National Championship a year after joining I Nerazzurri.
Strong progress continued and he soon emerged in the Under-19s squad despite only just turning 17. Another honour followed, as Internazionale’s Under-19s claimed Campionato Primavera 1, one of the top youth honours in Italian football, at the end of 2021/22.
In the same season, the young midfielder made his maiden first team squad appearance and would soon be signed by Chelsea on a long-term contract. The first half of the 2022/23 season, spent in the Blues’ Under-21s side, brought a return of five goals in 13 appearances.
It was during this time that Casadei’s international career began to blossom. Representing his country at several youth levels from the age of 16, participating in the UEFA U19 EURO Championship during the summer of 2022 displayed his growing talents.
Italy’s Under-19s reached the semi-finals of the tournament and having also made his debut for the Under-21s side later that year, Casadei trained with the senior national side before the turn of the year.
Following the conclusion of his loan at Reading, the world stage took note once more as Casadei starred at the FIFA U20 World Cup in May 2023. Beaten finalists, it was his individual displays which caught the eye, leading to receiving both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards, top scoring at the tournament with seven goals.
Standing at 6ft 1in, Casadei is an imposing figure in the middle of the park but is equally known and lauded for his range of passing and technical ability, enabling him to play in a host of different midfield roles, both defensively and more attacking.
Happy to carry the ball forward, or make runs to create opportunities, his goalscoring prowess is another string to his ever-growing bow. Honing his skills further at Leicester this term will no doubt come naturally while working under fellow Italian Enzo Maresca.