Benoit Badiashile has been fully acquired by Chelsea from Monaco.
Badiashile has agreed to a seven-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea after the English club paid an alleged sum of over €38 million (£33.7 million).
Since making his debut for Monaco’s first squad during the 2018–19 campaign, the 21-year-old center back has been a fixture in the team’s defense.
In order to improve their defensive options, Chelsea was looking for a left-handed player after Antonio Rudiger joined Real Madrid.
Welcome to Chelsea, Benoit Badiashile! 👊#BonjourBenoit 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/4Hn38DZEnL
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 5, 2023
Josko Gvardiol, a World Cup champion for Croatia, was supposedly a player the Blues intended to sign but were unable to reach an agreement on a transfer fee with RB Leipzig.
Wesley Fofana, a former Leicester City defender, joined Chelsea in August for £75 million, but the player has struggled with injuries.
With 106 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco under his belt, Badiashile provides a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to a defense that also has Kalidou Koulibaly and seasoned veteran Thiago Silva.
He joins David Datro Fofana as Chelsea’s second acquisition of the summer window, while Andrey Santos, a promising Brazilian player, is also expected to sign.
“I’m very happy to be here at Chelsea,” Badiashile told the club’s official website. “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.”
Chelsea co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly added: “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.”
Enzo Fernandez, a midfielder for Benfica, has drawn interest from Chelsea after performing well for Argentina in Qatar.
A deal seemed likely earlier this week, but on Thursday, Benfica coach Roger Schmidt criticized Chelsea’s negotiating strategy, saying the Blues had shown disrespect in their approach.