c
Helsea are looking to follow in the footsteps of Carney Chukwuemeka by signing Inter teenager Cesare Casadei as part of a succession plan to replace N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.
The Blues have agreed to pay £20m for highly-rated Aston Villa midfielder Chukwuemeka, who was a star of England’s European Under-19 Championship success this summer.
Chukwuemeka has traveled to London to discuss personal terms and the 18-year-old will move to Stamford Bridge on a long-term deal.
New owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are keen to invest in young players and are ready to make another big move for Casadei, which could also cost £20m.
Casadei is yet to make a senior appearance for Inter, but the 19-year-old is one of the top prospects in Italy and has been widely scouted by academy boss Neil Bath.
READ MORE
Chukwuemeka is seen as Chelsea’s midfield future as the club prepare for life after Kante and Jorginho, who could leave next summer when their contracts expire.
Chelsea have already received two bids for Casadei, but interim sporting director Boehly is keen to back Bath as Chelsea continue to invest in their academy.
Chukwuemeka was being chased by a number of top clubs in England and Europe and has reportedly turned down a new contract at Aston Villa which would have made him one of the highest paid teenagers in the country.
He was in the final year of his contract and Villa have agreed to sell him to Chelsea to secure a transfer fee for a player who could talk to clubs abroad in January.
It is still unclear whether Chukwuemeka will be in Chelsea’s first-team squad or will be out on loan this season while he waits for Kante and Jorginho to leave.
Cesare Casadei is a £20m target for Chelsea
/ Getty Images
Chelsea last night also completed the £12million signing of 18-year-old Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, but he has immediately been loaned out to the MLS club.
They have also signed winger Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal and goalkeeper Eddie Beach from Southampton as part of an academy overhaul that could cost in excess of £50m.
Chelsea are also interested in signing Palmeiras striker Endrick, 16, who is considered the next Neymar.
Amid moves for Chukwuemeka and Casadei, Chelsea have made a bid for Brighton’s £50m left-back Marc Cucurella.
They have held talks through intermediaries for Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana, who could cost around £80m, and have interest in Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters and Inter duo Dumfries and Skriniar.
The imminent new arrivals at Stamford Bridge have thrown doubt over the futures of Emerson Palmieri, Billy Gilmour, Ethan Ampadu and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso remain interested in a move to Barcelona, while Timo Werner has fallen out with manager Thomas Tuchel and could rejoin RB Leipzig on loan.
Malang Sarr is set to leave, with Monaco having agreed a loan deal with an option to buy the defender.