Chelsea could have signed Cesare Casadei for a much lower fee earlier in his career.

The Blues ended up paying £20 million for the youngster from Inter Milan, who spent part of this season at Leicester City on loan.

Former scout Alessandro Pizzoli admits to telling the club about Casadei much earlier.

“I proposed Casadei when I first arrived at Chelsea, he was playing at Under-17 level and cost €180,000," he stated at the Palermo Football Conference.

"He was not considered good enough and turned down, but then when he cost €20m, that's when they bought him… That's how it works there, they have a different mentality."