Chelsea have allegedly reached a decision over the future of defender Benoit Badiashile.
At the start of 2023, the Blues embarked on the most expansive spending spree ever seen during a January transfer window, including negotiating a deal with Monaco for the centre-back.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital paid an alleged £32.7m to secure the services of the Frenchman and the expectation was that he would eventually become a mainstay in the team.
However, in what is close to two years at Stamford Bridge, Badiashile has been limited to 35 starts and five substitute outings in all competitions.
Most notably, just 25 of those starts have come in the Premier League, with his tally not helped by being placed down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca.
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Badiashile's only outing in the top flight during 2024-25 was a 37-minute substitute appearance during the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on October 20.
He has since played 90 minutes against each of Panathinaikos and Newcastle United in the Conference League and EFL Cup respectively, the latter ending in a disappointing 2-0 reverse.
Unless there are injuries to either Wesley Fofana or Levi Colwill, there appears to be little prospect of Badiashile appearing in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who was commenting on X, Chelsea have no plans to cash in on Badiashile should an opportunity arise in one of the upcoming transfer windows.
Romano adds that the France international remains highly regarded behind the scenes and there is an anticipation that he will play a significant role moving forward.
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Could the situation change in the future?
Badiashile is tied to a contract that runs until 2030, essentially making it difficult for any interested clubs unless they offer terms where Chelsea will not make a loss with regards to the financial regulations.
Chelsea would essentially need to receive an offer of at least £25m for it to be deemed worthwhile to cash in on Badiashile in the short term.
As it stands, Badiashile is fourth in the pecking order behind Fofana, Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo. Maresca also has Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga as further options.
A loan move in the future cannot be ruled out, yet Badiashile has still racked up six starts in cup competitions to keep racking up regular game time.
Darren Plant
