Benoit Badiashile, a 21-year-old defender from Monaco, has been signed by Chelsea for 35 million and seven and a half years.
The Blues have been searching for a left-sided center defender since the summer, but negotiations with RB Leipzig to acquire Josko Gvardiol, a star of the 2018 World Cup in Croatia, were unsuccessful.
According to reports, Chelsea and Badiashile had earlier this week agreed on personal terms for a long-term contract.
After arriving in the nation's capital, Badiashile finished his medical before concluding his transfer.
On New Year's Day, Monaco's lineup against Brest was without the French center back while preparations for his trip to London were made.
I'm thrilled to be at Chelsea, the defender told the team's website. I can't wait to begin competing for this club. I am eager to play in the best league in the world and see the supporters.
We're thrilled to welcome Benoit to Chelsea, said Blues owner Todd Boehly.
He's a great young player who, despite his youth, has a ton of experience and has swiftly built a solid reputation for himself. We're confident he'll develop
The competition for the central defensive positions at Stamford Bridge will include Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, and Trevoh Chalobah. Last year, Badiashile was the target of a bid from Newcastle United before suffering an injury.
The 17-year-old defender made his Ligue 1 debut for the Monegasque club in 2018 and went on to make 20 appearances during his rookie season with the team. West Ham and Sevilla were also interested in the player.
He has played for Monaco in 135 games overall since that time, and in 2021, he was a member of the group that advanced to the French Cup final.
After playing for France at every youth level, Badiashile was called up to the senior squad earlier this year based on his domestic performances for Phillipe Clement's team. He made his senior squad debut in a 2-0 Nations League victory over Austria in September.
David Datro Fofana, a player for the Ivory Coast, has now arrived at Stamford Bridge after moving there from Molde.
Andrey Santos, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, and most famously World Cup champion Enzo Fernandez have all been Graham Potter's objectives and have also been connected with moves to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues manager, though, refrained from commenting on any rumors before Thursday night's Premier League matchup with Manchester City.
It's a nice question, but if I respond to it and am precise, every player in that region will be associated with Chelsea, he added.
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