£13m player says he is ‘happy’ after leaving Chelsea and suggests he felt unwanted

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Chelsea offloaded a number of players during the winter transfer window.

Joao Felix was loaned to AC Milan while Axel Disasi also joined Aston Villa on a temporary deal – with Renato Veiga being loaned to Juventus too.

Two more high profile loan exits occurred as Carney Chukwuemeka moved to Borussia Dortmund and Ben Chilwell was loaned to Crystal Palace.

However, there was also a permanent departure which made headlines as Cesare Casadei joined Torino in a £12.5m deal.

Now – during a revealing interview with Gazzetta dello Sport – the Italian has suggested he felt quite unwanted at Chelsea.

Cesare Casadei says he is “happy” to have left Chelsea

The Italy U21 international said: “I couldn’t wait. I had been trying (to leave) 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.

“It was decisive (Torino making him feel valued). Very important. 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. I’m coming from a semester at Chelsea where I didn’t play much, so I needed to regain confidence and trust.”

Casadei made just four starts under Enzo Maresca this season before returning to Italy – with three coming in the UEFA Conference League and another in the Carabao Cup.

Chelsea will benefit financially if Cesare Casadei succeeds at Torino

If the 22-year-old does well in Turin and nets Torino a sizeable transfer fee in future, Chelsea have made sure they stand to benefit.

The BBC have revealed that sources close to the situation confirm Chelsea negotiated a sell-on clause in the agreement with Torino, that entitles the Blues to a cut of any future profits secured from a sale.

However, the exact percentage was not disclosed.

Hopefully, the talented Casadei – who Chelsea initially wanted £20m for – can reignite his promising career back in Italy with Torino after a stagnant spell in west London.