One Chelsea player was left in limbo over his future earlier this summer before a chat with Enzo Maresca convinced him to stay and fight for a place in the first team

Cesare Casadei has revealed that a talk with Enzo Maresca convinced him to stay at Chelsea this summer.The Italian midfielder has yet to have any kind of major impact at Chelsea. A 2022 signing, the 21-year-old has only made 12 senior Blues appearances to date after loans to Reading and Leicester City.

Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei has heaped praise on manager Enzo Maresca before Thursday evening's Europa Conference League match against Gent. Casadei played under Maresca during his loan spell with Leicester City last season and admitted he was "happy and excited" when he knew Maresca had taken the job at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca helped persuade Blues midfielder Cesare Casadei to stay at the club this season and not go out on loan again, following spells at Reading and Leicester

The Italian was asked about Casadei adapting to a deeper role in midfield with the Blues. He stated: "I think Cesare did very well in that game (vs Barrow). He struggled at the beginning but in the end he finished very well. We can see Cesare there again, for sure, no doubt.

With Romeo Lavia not back from injury during the early part of last week, Casadei played the full 90 minutes as the Blues thrashed Barrow in the EFL Cup third round.

Several Chelsea stars have the advantage of working under Enzo Maresca in previous deployments, with one even admitting he grew unhappy after his first spell under the Italian

The 21-year-old midfielder failed to make a start for Chelsea after his Leicester loan was cut-short and missed out on winning the Championship under Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea midfielder, Cesare Casadei, has made it clear he is not thinking of leaving the club next year. Casadei had revealed his decision to stay at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer when he had the option of going out on loan.