Report: Chelsea strike €38M deal with Monaco to sign Badiashile

Chelsea reached an agreement with AS Monaco to sign defender Benoit Badiashile in a deal worth about €37 million-€38 million, reports David Ornstein of The Athletic.

The Frenchman, 21, will undergo medical tests Monday before signing a contract until 2029 with the Premier League club, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

He was left out of the squad for Monaco's match against Brest on Sunday.

The Blues have been on the hunt for a left-footed center-back since the summer. They agreed to personal terms with Croatian star Josko Gvardiol but a deal fell through after they were unable to find common ground with RB Leipzig over a transfer fee. The west London outfit also considered signing Evan Ndicka of Eintracht Frankfurt and Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen, according to Ornstein.

But Badiashile emerged as their top target.

The French international, capped twice by Les Bleus, joins a positional group that already includes Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, and Trevoh Chalobah. The likes of Marc Cucurella, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Reece James can also play in central defense, adding more competition for minutes.

An athletic defender who is comfortable on the ball, Badiashile made 135 appearances for Monaco. He could make an immediate impact in England as Graham Potter's side aims to surge up the table in 2023.