Chelsea is trying to get a new left-sided center-back, and so far, Benoit Badiashile of Monaco looks like the best choice.
Since the last transfer window, when Chelsea had personal terms with RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol but couldn’t agree on a transfer fee, they have been looking for a new player to fill this role.
David Ornstein of The Athletic says that Chelsea is “working to sign a new left-sided center-back” in January, and AS Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile is the most likely candidate. “There is no agreement” yet, but “multiple sources believe he will join in the coming weeks for around €35 million” (£30 million). It’s not clear who these “multiple sources” are.
Badiashile was first talked about in the summer, when it was said that Chelsea was keeping an eye on the 21-year-old big man. Since then, he has also made his debut for France. Even though he is young, he already has a lot of senior professional experience because he has been a key player for Monaco for the past two or three seasons and has played in over 130 senior games.
Due to the huge transfer fee, Badiashile would join the first team right away and probably stay there for a long time, making our defense stronger. The Athletic’s report says that we are also looking at Evan Ndicka, who is 23 and plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, and Piero Hincapié, who is 20 and plays for Bayer Leverkusen. This is especially true now that Joko Gvardiol might be too expensive for us. But Badiashile should come first.
