Chelsea 'agree £33m deal to sign' Monaco defender

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, in a deal that is reportedly worth up to £33m.

The Blues spent heavily in the summer in what was the first window under new owner Todd Boehly.

In came big signings in the form of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella, but now they've moved for another defensive signing.

Currently struggling in the Premier League, Chelsea fans will be hoping they've unearthed a top, young defensive talent who could give them a huge boost in the second half of the season.

An agreement has been reached in the region of £33m for the France international and Badiashile will have a medical in the coming days before the deal is completed, and is reportedly set to sign a long-term deal at the club.

Standing at 6ft 4in, he is known for his speed, ball recovery and tactical flexibility and will be an option for Potter in a back three or back four.

Badiashile, 21, is a young but highly promising defender who's already played 135 times for Monaco, and also has two caps for France, having made his debut in September of this year.

He was an unused substitute in their recent 3-2 win over AJ Auxerre, with Chelsea loanee Malang Sarr chosen over him amid the speculation of a move.

Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for Croatian sensation Josko Gvardiol who was no doubt one of the standout performers of the World Cup.

Alamy

However, given RB Leipzig are demanding obscene amounts of money for the young centre-back, Badiashile has emerged as cheaper, but still highly talented option that Graham Potter has given the green light for.

Having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the back in the summer, coupled with the fact that fan-favourite Thiago Silva is 38, young defenders were always part of Chelsea's transfer plan.

Newcastle United were interested in signing Badiashile before they went onto sign another Ligue 1 defender in Sven Botman.

Plus, West Ham and Sevilla were also among the interested parties, but the Frenchman wants to play in England and for a club in the Champions League, and it seems he has found a home at Stamford Bridge.

This season he's played 16 times, scoring twice, as Monaco sit fifth in Ligue 1, but now he faces a new challenge as Chelsea look to improve their league position, as well as compete in Europe.