Chelsea are now prepared to sell another defender alongside Ben Chilwell in 2025 as Enzo Maresca continues to try and trim down his squad in a bid for Premier League success, it has been reported.
Chelsea start season strongly
A 4-2 comeback win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, spearheaded by four goals from talisman Cole Palmer, moved Chelsea into the top four for the first time this season and stretched their unbeaten streak in the league to five games.
Since their opening day defeat to Manchester City, no side has taken more points than Maresca’s, while their 15 goals is more than any other side have managed in that time.
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“It was a good game. Probably we struggled in some moments of the game but I think this kind of game the team needed also to learn”, the Blues boss explained.
“I prefer to have more possession! But we struggled a little bit at the beginning of the game, we conceded possession because they surprised us a bit tactically, but overall we were quite good.”
Talk of titles may be a little premature, with a tough run of fixtures facing the west London side, but there is clear potential to be built upon and a spot in the top four cannot be ruled out.
Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League games
Nottingham Forest (H)
Liverpool (A)
Newcastle (H)
Manchester United (A)
Arsenal (H)
Not everyone is enjoying life at Stamford Bridge though, with Chilwell among those who were told to leave over the summer. The England international is likely to be free to leave again in January despite Maresca having since welcomed him back into the fold. Now, another could be set to follow him out of the door.
Italy calling for Chelsea defender
That comes in the shape of French defender Benoit Badiashile, who is yet to play a minute of Premier League football this season. The Frenchman was signed to provide cover and competition for academy graduate Levi Colwill, and left Monaco with glowing praise.
“Badiashile is excellent. He is very strong in the air and in the duels. He can read the game because he is intelligent. He is a very good defender on the floor and in the air. I do not have any doubts that he will succeed in the Premier League,” former Monaco coach Nelson Caldaira told Sky Sports. “He is the complete defender.”
However, having failed to break into the first team, and with Chelsea seemingly in the market for another left-sided defender, the French international is now surplus to requirements.
Still just 23-years-old, Badiashile still has a mammoth six years to run on his £90,000 a week deal in west London, but reports in Italy suggest Chelsea are ready to let him leave in the coming year.
They suggest that he has caught the eye of reigning champions Inter Milan, and that he could be available for just €20m (£16.7m) next summer, which would be just half of what Chelsea shelled out to bring him to London 18 months ago.
With game time limited at Stamford Bridge, a departure may well be what the Frenchman needs to re-ignite his stalling career.