Chelsea have shifted their focus to AS Monaco center-back Benoit Badiashile after missing out on a number of targets in the last few days. However, the Blues will again have to fight for Badiashile’s signature, this time with Manchester United.
Both Chelsea and United need a massive overhaul in their defense and are looking for long-term targets. United want to add one more center-back to their ranks despite landing Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are looking for the replacements of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger who left the club this summer. Though Kalidou Koulibaly has arrived from Napoli, the Blues want two more defenders, and preferably younger ones.
Chelsea, United will need to fork out £42.5m for Monaco defender
Chelsea have failed in their attempts to sign a center-back after acquiring Koulibaly. The Blues have been unsuccessful in their pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt, who chose Bayern Munich and Presnel Kimbempe who preferred to stay at PSG.
More importantly, the latest to slip out their clutches is Sevilla’s Jules Kounde. A long-term target, Chelsea had even agreed a £55 million deal for the 23-year-old center-back.
However, a last-ditch attempt from Barcelona has reportedly lured Kounde to favour a move to Camp Nou over Stamford Bridge.
But the Blues don’t want to face disappointment with the case of Badiashile. Monaco have set a price tag of £42.5 million on their defender, and will not back out from that amount.
United too eye Badiashile as an important player, despite already having the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez in that department.
The Red Devils are set to loose Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, and thus want Badiashile to add to their depth. Both Chelsea and United are ready to indulge in a bidding war for the Frenchman touted as the ‘future’ of France’s defense.
In his 24 Ligue 1 games last season, Badiashile racked up an impressive 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 2.4 aerial duels won, 7.1 presses and 5.5 passes under pressure per game.
The numbers itself are a testament to the solid qualities possessed by the 21-year-old defender. Chelsea will certainly go all out in order to secure the services of Badiashile, and so will United.