West Ham United have joined the chase for highly-rated French defender Benoit Badiashile with Newcastle United also interested.
According to FootMercato, there is significant interest from Premier League clubs West Ham United and Newcastle United in Monaco’s highly-rated defender Benoit Badiashile. The French giants have already rejected approaches for the youngster previously, although they remain open to a sale for the right price.
Benoit Badiashile has already played more than 100 senior games in all competitions, despite being just 20 years old. He has shown a high level of maturity in his game that has attracted the interest of multiple clubs across the football world, particularly from the Premier League.
The defender is tied with Monaco until 2024, which puts the club in a strong position to negotiate with suitors and set a reasonable price. Tottenham were reportedly interested back in November, although having already spent a fortune on Cristian Romero, they are unlikely to spend big again soon.
West Ham United and Newcastle United are the other two Premier League clubs that are very keen on signing the youngster, with a move a possibility if either of these teams make a good offer.
The Hammers, in particular, have been stretched thin in central defence after injuries to key stars Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna. While David Moyes has been looking for defensive reinforcements, but the thought of bringing in a young centre-back for a large sum of money could make him sceptical.
They are also linked with PSG star Abdou Diallo, who could be a better option considering that his more experienced and would cost lesser. However, from a stylistic perspective, Badiashile could be a more attractive option, although Monaco’s high fee demand could make things tricky.
There is also interest from Newcastle United, who have been scouring the market for a new centre-back to shore up their backline. Their manager Eddie Howe has been presented with various central defensive targets with Badiashile one of them. The Magpies are firmly looking at Lille centre-half Sven Botman as their primary target. If they fail in the pursuit, then options such as Badiashile could be looked at more seriously.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle decide to go after the AS Monaco starlet or leave the path clear for West Ham, who are in urgent need of a centre-half as they look to continue their push for top four and progress in the UEFA Europa League.
