Transfer market, Chelsea takes Badiashile from Monaco

From our correspondent Davide Chinellato

January 1st
– London

The English transfer market officially reopened on the stroke of the new year and Chelsea wasted no time. The only thing missing is the official arrival at Stamford Bridge of Benoit Badiashile, the 21-year-old Monaco defender with whom the Blues have found an agreement on the basis of 38 million euros. For the player, an agreement of 6 and a half years.

Who is

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Born in 2001, left-footed central defender, Badiashile has been a starter in the Principality’s defense since he was 17, where he arrived when he was 15. Rocky with his 194 centimeters, good with his head, Badiashile this season has also tasted Deschamps’ France after having made it all the way through the youth team, starting in September in the two Nations League matches against Austria and Denmark. In the league, before the World break, he scored two goals in 11 appearances.

Chelsea

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The Blues had had their eyes on him for some time, attracted by his age which allows them to rejuvenate a defense of which the 38-year-old Thiago Silva continues to be a pivot. Fofana and Koulibaly arrived in the summer, but Potter felt the team still needed reinforcements behind. The agreement with Monaco, aware of not being able to keep a defender who is establishing himself internationally and who had a contract expiring in 18 months for long, was reached quickly. The Monaco centre-back won’t be the Blues’ only addition in January: the arrivals of David Datro Fofana, the 19-year-old striker taken from Molde for 10 million, and Andrey Santons, a very young midfielder paid 23 million from Santos have already closed, the Blues continue to press on Benfica for Enzo Fernandez. To sign the Argentine who won the best young player award in the World Cup in Qatar, the Blues are ready to give Benfica the 120 million release clause. The goal is to reinforce Potter’s team with young people who can help immediately and be pivots for the Blues of the future. Like Badiashile.