Chelsea continue talks with Monaco over £35m move for centre back Benoit Badiashile as Graham Potter looks to shore up his defence – with Blues wary of RB Leipzig’s reluctance to sell target Josko Gvardiol
- Badiashile viewed as player who can fit well into both three or four man defence
- Newcastle put a bid in for the 21-year-old earlier this year but he got injured
- He wants to play for Premier League side contending for the Champions League
- Chelsea had bid rejected for Gvardiol but World Cup star remains a targetÂ
Chelsea are continuing negotiations with Monaco over a £35million move for defender Benoit Badiashile.
The 21-year old left-sided centre back is viewed as an aggressive player who can fit comfortably into a three or four man defence and give manager Graham Potter the flexibility he desires for tactical switches.
Badiashile was the subject of a bid from Newcastle United earlier in the year but picked up an injury after talks were initiated and Eddie Howe’s side moved on to other targets and ultimately reverted back to signing Sven Botman.
Chelsea are continuing talks with Monaco over a £35million move for Benoit Badiashile (left)Â
Graham Potter will want to shore up his defence ahead of a poor run of form leading up to the World Cup
West Ham and Sevilla also showed interest but the 6ft 4in France international has always wanted to play for a Premier League side contending for the Champions League.
Chelsea had a bid rejected for Red Bull Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol last summer and, while the Croatian remains a target, his club’s reluctance to sell has prompted Chelsea’s immediate move for Badiashile.
They are eager to reduce the average age of their squad to under 25 while Monaco, who have former Tottenham head of recruitment Paul Mitchell as sporting director, are open to the sale.
Monaco coach Philippe Clement talking about interest in his players said: ‘As a coach, we’re always happy when the transfer window shuts. We’ll see. It depends on the situations, if they’re interesting for the club or not. The most important thing for me is that the players have their minds here, and that’s the case.’Â
The 21-year-old is as an aggressive player who can fit comfortably into a back three or four
Meanwhile, Newcastle have made Chelsea’s Jorginho their prime target for the January window as his contract talks continue to stall.
The 31-year old Italy international is out of contract in the summer and will be a free agent.
Newcastle have also discussed Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans and 21-year old Nice midfielder Kephren Thuram, brother of France and Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus.
