Benoit Badiashile battles for the ball while playing for Napoli
Benoit Badiashile battles for the ball while playing for Napoli
Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Chelsea contacted Napoli regarding Benoit Badiashile, praising the Serie A outfit for their management of the on-loan defender, it has been revealed.
The Stamford Bridge side brought in the Frenchman in the winter window of 2023, having previously identified him as a target alongside Manchester United the year before.
The 25-year-old put pen to paper on a seven-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea paying around £35m to secure his services.
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However, Badiashile struggled to cement a regular role at Chelsea, with recurring injuries further hampering his attempts to establish himself in west London.
Consequently, the centre-back joined Napoli on a season-long loan in the summer, seeking to get back on track with regular game time in Italy.
Badiashile has so far accumulated 332 minutes across five appearances for the Italian outfit, but his attempt to revive his fortunes suffered another setback on Saturday when he was forced off against Roma with an injury.
The Frenchman was withdrawn in the 52nd minute with Napoli holding a 2-0 advantage, only for the lead to unravel after his departure as Roma struck three times to snatch a draw, with it ending 3-3.
Club Years
Monaco 2018-2023
Chelsea 2023-
Napoli (loan) 2026-
Chelsea have been looking on and appear to be happy with how Badiashile’s spell is playing out.
Italian journalist Sandro Sabatini has revealed that Chelsea contacted Napoli last week to appreciate their handling of Badiashile.
Sabatini said via Italian outlet Area Napoli: “Last week, Chelsea called Napoli to congratulate them on their management of Badiashile.
“He’s a strong player; I wasn’t expecting that.”
Badiashile now faces a potential spell on the sidelines, with the extent of his injury yet to be determined, while the defender will hope it does not derail his momentum at Napoli.
The Frenchman’s loan agreement contains no option to buy, meaning any prospect of a permanent move will depend on how the situation develops over the course of the season.
If he does impress then Napoli may well want to sit down with Chelsea for talks.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso’s side endured their first home defeat of the season on Saturday, falling 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.