Chelsea are reportedly on the brink of completing a deal to sign Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile in January.
The Blues - who lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger over the summer - are understood to have identified the 21-year-old as their leading mid-season defensive target after cooling their interest in RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.
Gvardiol was originally thought to have been at the top of the Blues' wishlist, but a stellar World Cup campaign with Croatia has led to widespread interest from across Europe, and Badiashile is seen as a cheaper alternative.
The 6'4" centre-back is only under contract with Monaco until the summer of 2024, and Les Monegasques will not take the risk of letting him leave for free in 18 months' time.
Manchester United and Barcelona are apparently aiming to hijack a deal for Badiashile at the last minute, but according to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will soon wrap up a deal.
© Reuters
Romano claims that Chelsea and Badiashile have now struck an agreement over personal terms, and the Frenchman is keen on making the move to Stamford Bridge next month.
Negotiations to bring Badiashile to the English capital are understood to be at their final stages, and all parties expect Graham Potter's side to conclude the transfer imminently.
The defender joined Monaco's youth ranks in 2016 and has risen through the levels to make 135 senior appearances for the principality side, scoring six goals and setting up three more.
During the first half of the 2022-23 season, Badiashile scored twice in 16 appearances across all tournaments for Monaco, and he earned his debut for the senior France team in September.
However, the 21-year-old was left out of Didier Deschamps's squad for the 2022 World Cup, and he was an unused substitute in Monaco's 3-2 Ligue 1 win over Auxerre on Wednesday amid links with a move elsewhere.
© Reuters
Badiashile is expected to become Chelsea's third arrival of the winter transfer window, following fellow youngsters David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos to West London.
Twenty-year-old Ivorian striker Fofana was announced as a Chelsea player on Wednesday after his transfer from Molde, and he will officially complete his move on January 1.
Meanwhile, the arrival of 18-year-old Vasco da Gama midfielder Santos is yet to be confirmed, but he is expected to undergo his Chelsea medical later this week before signing his contract.
Santos will likely be sent out on loan immediately, with Chelsea still in the market for a marquee midfield signing in the January window amid links with Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues have supposedly stated that they are prepared to pay the Argentina international's £105m release clause to sign him, beating Liverpool and Real Madrid to his services in the process.
Ben Knapton
