Cesare Casadei joined Torino from Chelsea in the January transfer window after months of speculation.
The midfielder had joined the Blues in the summer of 2022 but since then he’d played only 17 times in all competitions for the club and his development had stalled.
There was a clamour for the Italian last month and the move to Torino was done on a permanent basis.
The 22-year-old spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday and was asked about his decision to leave Chelsea. He stated that he felt ‘hindered’ during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Casadei said: “I couldn’t wait. I had been trying for a couple of seasons but, for one reason or another, I was hindered. I had another couple of years in England which, however, were very useful. Now is the right time to put myself to the test in Serie A. And I’m happy about it.”
He was also asked why he picked Torino as his destination.
He said: “Because, since day one, it was the first club that showed so much trust in me. Starting with the president Urbano Cairo, who I want to thank because he allowed me to fulfil my desire to return to Italy.”
Casadei also stated that during his period at Chelsea he felt he wanted to feel more trusted as a player and that has been key to the exit.
“It’s what I needed: to be in a club where they make me feel important and where I feel important. I feel that I can make a big contribution to Toro.
“I’m coming from a semester at Chelsea where I didn’t play much, so I needed to regain confidence and trust. Toro courted me a lot, it was a great honour. Director Vagnati knows it, I never had any doubts.”
It is quite clear that Casadei wasn’t satisfied in London and would have ideally wanted an exit some months ago.
The Italian won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the FIFA U20s World Cup in 2023, which shows that he has a lot of potential.
