Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
They might get plenty of criticism, but BlueCo and the club’s quintet of sporting directors know how to drive a hard bargain. More proof of that will surface in the coming days at Chelsea.
North of £50m for Marc Cucurella, the same amount for Andrey Santos, a £24m deal for Tyrique George – impressive amounts of money for the players in question. Even the deal for Alejandro Garnacho is astute.
Enzo Maresca, Manager of Manchester City
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A loan with an easily met conditional obligation of £43m is superb business for a player that ultimately failed in a Chelsea shirt. With a fortnight left to go in the window, plenty of Chelsea players are to leave.
Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo were absent from the clash against Real Sociedad on Saturday, but it is another player for whom BlueCo have shown their business acumen in negotiations.
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Chelsea agree finer details as Benoit Badiashile set for Napoli
Of course, Chelsea would rather have permanent sales for players like Delap, Jackson, Tosin and Benoit Badiashile. The Blues have spent north of £350m on 11 new signings after the arrival of Pep Chavarria.
Benoît Badiashile of Chelsea
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Cucurella, Santos, George, Trevoh Chalobah and Jimmy-Jay Morgan – who has started superbly at West Brom – have raked in £150m. That means Chelsea need more sales before the window slams shut.
But with some players, it is impossible. Long-term contracts mean clubs are unwilling to pay the kind of fee Chelsea are requesting and a loan is inevitable, and that is the case with French defender Badiashile.
After weeks of talks between Chelsea and Napoli, according to reporter Luca Cerchione, the two sides have finally come to an agreement over terms of a loan. Chelsea will receive an upfront fee of £2.5m.
Napoli will also boast an option to sign Badiashile permanently from Chelsea for a fee of £22.2m, taking the cost of the deal to a potential £24.7m. Napoli will also cover around £40,000 of his weekly wage.
SSC Napoli v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8
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Cerchione reported: “€3m [£2.5m] paid loan with a €26m [£22.2m] purchase option to Chelsea; €2.5 million net per season for the center-back. Medical scheduled for Tuesday.”
Stunning business by BlueCo as patience forces Napoli to move
It has been a while since Badiashile was first linked with Napoli, but it is further proof that Chelsea get their way when patience is applied. Badiashile has been made to wait, but eventually, Napoli relented.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile of Chelsea react
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Interestingly, a potential permanent deal for Badiashile will see Chelsea make a book profit. If the clause is activated and Napoli pay Chelsea a £22.2m fee next summer, Chelsea could make a profit of over £11m.
Badiashile is three and a half years into his Chelsea stint, having joined for £35m in January 2023. That means he is £24.5m of the way into his amortisation period. Next summer he will be through £28m.
Selling Badiashile for £22.2m now would see Chelsea make around £11.7m in profit. Next summer, it would be an impressive £15.2m, judging by the figures made available. Good business by BlueCo.