Chelsea's bid for £40m rated Dewsbury-Hall includes young and promising star

Chelsea is making significant progress in their efforts to acquire Leicester City's highly-rated midfielder, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Blues are considering offering one of their promising young talents in a swap deal to secure the transfer.

Under the guidance of new head coach Enzo Maresca, Chelsea is keen on reuniting with Dewsbury-Hall, a player Maresca knows well from his successful stint at Leicester City. The 25-year-old midfielder played a crucial role in Leicester's promotion to the Premier League last season, contributing 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions. His outstanding performance has attracted interest from several top clubs, with Chelsea leading the race.

Negotiations between the two clubs have been ongoing, despite Brighton initially agreeing to a swap deal involving Jakub Moder. Chelsea's entry into the race disrupted Brighton's plans, and they have since been working to reach an agreement with Leicester. However, their opening bid fell short of Leicester's £40 million valuation, as reported by BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

To make the deal more enticing, Chelsea is contemplating including highly-rated young midfielder Cesare Casadei in the swap. Casadei, who transferred to Chelsea from Inter Milan for an initial £12 million in 2022, spent the first half of last season on loan at Leicester. Despite his limited appearances for Chelsea, his potential has been highly lauded by Andrea Zanchetta, Inter's Under-18 coach, who described him as a "diamond in the rough".

In addition to Casadei, Chelsea is also discussing the possibility of including strikers Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana in the deal. However, both players are reportedly reluctant to be part of the swap. Dewsbury-Hall, on the other hand, has expressed openness to joining Chelsea or staying at Leicester, having turned down an opportunity to move to Brighton.

In a recent interview with BBC Sport, Dewsbury-Hall emphasised his love for Leicester City, where he has been since childhood. He said,

"I have been here since I was a kid," he said. "I love everything about the club. I grew up and managed to play in the first team. I am happy. I have never said I am actively wanting to leave. That sort of stuff is not up to me. You never know with football - the season is about to start, so we will see."

Despite his commitment, he acknowledged the uncertainties of football and left the door open for potential moves.

Leicester City, now managed by Steve Cooper, may need to sell Dewsbury-Hall to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules. However, the club remains financially stable under the ownership of Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

Chelsea's new head coach, Enzo Maresca, clearly sees Dewsbury-Hall as a key piece in his plans for the future. The prospect of reuniting with a coach who knows him well and can help him develop further must be appealing to the young midfielder.

The potential inclusion of Cesare Casadei in the swap deal adds an interesting twist to the negotiations. Casadei is a highly-rated young talent in his own right, and his brief loan spell at Leicester last season may have given the Foxes a glimpse of his potential. If Chelsea can convince Leicester to accept Casadei as part of the deal, it could be a win-win situation for both clubs.