Championship club Leicester City have approached Chelsea to sign midfielder Cesare Casadei, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Foxes have been signalling interest in the starlet and have now made a concrete move to sign him.
Leicester manager Enzo Maresca is a fan of Casadei and would like to add him to their squad as they bid to battle back into the Premier League.
However, the Italian youth international is reportedly not keen on the move to the Championship. He wants to stay in the top flight.
Casadei joined Chelsea last summer from Inter Milan for around £12 million, and after six months with the reserve side, he moved on loan to Reading.
He took his time to adapt to his new surroundings but eventually got going. However, his performances could not save the club from relegation to League One.
He went on to the Under-20 World Cup, announcing himself globally as a top-class talent. He finished as the competition’s top scorer and captained his side to the final.
Casadei won the Golden Ball award for best player at the tournament. He has returned to Chelsea and joined Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for their pre-season tour of the United States.
The Blues will not sell Casadei but will likely make him available for another loan.
A possible option for the Ravenna-born midfielder is Brighton & Hove Albion. They are reportedly monitoring his situation.
Brighton took Chelsea’s Levi Colwill on loan last season and could repeat the trick with Casadei. His name may enter Chelsea’s talks with Brighton to sign Moises Caicedo.
The Seagulls have been trying to sign Colwill permanently, but Chelsea are refusing to sell. They maintain he is part of their future.
Brighton are close to signing Fiorentina defender Igor which may be a sign they have given up their pursuit of Colwill.
