Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile as they look to reinforce their weakened backline this summer.
According to MARCA, AS Monaco defensive mainstay Benoit Badiashile has emerged as one among several players Chelsea are looking at to strengthen their backline in the summer transfer window.
Badiashile has been with Monaco since 2016 when he joined their academy from the SC Malesherbes youth setup. The 21-year-old defender made his first-team breakthrough for the Principality outfit in November 2018, under then-manager Thierry Henry. Since then, the centre-half has grown from strength to strength to become a permanent fixture at the back for Monaco.
Badiashile, to date, has made 119 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, scoring four times and assisting three goals. The centre-back represents France at the Under-21 level currently and is also the captain of the team. Despite his young age, the defender has shown tremendous quality and maturity, leading to interest from several clubs.
Indeed, Manchester United have been linked with Badiashile, while there is also interest from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United. And it now seems that Chelsea have also emerged as prospective suitors for the 21-year-old French defensive prodigy.
Chelsea are looking at a major defensive overhaul this summer, having already lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. The former is poised to join Barcelona on a Bosman deal, while the latter has signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer. Furthermore, Cesar Azpilicueta is also the subject of interest from Barcelona and could depart from Stamford Bridge.
It would leave Chelsea light and short on quality in the defensive department. So, it is imperative that the Blues sign at least one top-quality defender in the summer. Sevilla mainstay Jules Kounde has emerged as the main priority for Thomas Tuchel’s side, but they are also exploring several other options, with Badiashile one such alternative.
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The 21-year-old is tied to a contract with Monaco until 2024, and the Ligue 1 giants have proven to be tough negotiators, having recently extracted a €100 million transfer fee for Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid. So Chelsea will likely have to shell out big bucks to land Badiashile, although that is unlikely to be an issue for the Blues, who will have the backing of their new owners.
