Chelsea have submitted an official bid to sign Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile. They have shifted their focus from Josko Gvardiol to the Ligue 1 defender, in an attempt to sign him during the January transfer window itself.
The negotiations are now in progress, as called by David Ornstein of the Athletic. A fee worth €35-40 million is being rumoured for the young defender, with an agreement yet to be reached about his signature.
Benoit Badiashile a transfer target for Chelsea
While things looked good for the deal with Gvardiol, the move collapsed even though personal terms were agreed because the price was too high. They were looking at other options such as Piero Hincapie, but have decided to go for Benoit Badiashile after weighing up their options.
Badiashile has been observed as a quiet character, but has shown maturity far beyond his years. He could be the left-footed centre-back for the long-term when it comes to the Chelsea squad.
They have the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva and Wesley Fofana as the natural central defenders. But, a naturally left footed central defender can be very beneficial for the team going forward.
The details of the transfer are yet to be finalised, but he could soon be the second first-team signing for the Blues, having agreed a deal for Christopher Nkunku earlier.
