Premier League heavyweights have completed the transfer of rising French defender Benoit Badiashile, who arrives from AS Monaco.
Chelsea have made an official statement to announce that they have secured the services of Benoit Badiashile. The rising French defender arrives from AS Monaco, signing a seven-and-a-half-year contract with the west London club. The Blues have reportedly paid €38 million for the young centre-back.
Benoit Badiashile is the latest bright young prospect coming into the spotlight in France, with the country boasting the deepest reserves of senior players. The 21-year-old was with AS Monaco since 2016 and took little time to progress to the first-team squad.
The rising French defender made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in November 2018. And he has been a pivotal figure for Monaco in the last four years, turning out 135 times. But Badiashile’s stint with Monaco has ended, and he moves abroad for the next adventure in his career, with Chelsea securing his services.
Chelsea opened talks to sign Badiashile towards the end of December after Real Madrid joined the chase for Josko Gvardiol. And the west Londoners have taken little time to reach an agreement for the youngster. Personal terms had never been an issue for Chelsea or Badiashile. And they have now secured his services.
Welcome to Chelsea, Benoit Badiashile! 👊#BonjourBenoit 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/4Hn38DZEnL
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 5, 2023
According to the reliable Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will pay €38 million to AS Monaco for Benoit Badiashile. And the rising French defender has signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract running until June 30, 2030. Upon completing the move to Stamford Bridge, the 22-year-old has expressed his delight.
The rising French defender said, “I’m very happy to be here at Chelsea. I’m so excited to start playing for this club. I can’t wait to see the fans and start playing in the best league in the world.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said, “We’re delighted to welcome Benoit to Chelsea. He’s an excellent young player who has quickly established a strong reputation for himself and has a huge amount of experience for his young age. We are sure he will form an important part of our team in the years ahead.”
At €38 million, Badiashile has the potential to be a bargain for Chelsea. The rising French defender is one of the best young centre-backs in the world. And the Blues have addressed a problem area while possibly bringing in a long-term successor to Thiago Silva.
