Chelsea working on deal to sign 21-year-old left centre-back in €35 million move: Reports

Chelsea are looking to make a move for a left-sided centre back, according to reports. The player at the top of their list is Monaco's Benoit Badiashile, who is valued at around €35 million and a January move for the player is being considered by the London club.

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Chelsea are focusing on a particular age group and player profile and their scouting department has made extensive recommendations. They would like to sign a young centre-back with the ability to play on the left side of a back-three.

Along with Badiashile, they have also considered RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol, with whom they agreed personal terms in the summer. However, a move during the January transfer window is considered unlikely due to his price tag. Other players who have been looked at include 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan N'Dika and 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

Badiashile's arrival would strengthen a part of Chelsea's squad that took a massive hit in the summer, with players like Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving. The Monaco player would join a group that contains Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, and Trevoh Chalobah along with players like Marc Cucurella and Reece James who have shown they can play in a back three.

Signing Badiashile would tie in with Chelsea's policy of signing younger players, which they have committed to this summer, with the arrivals of players like Fofana, Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Cesare Casadei.

Ziyech's World Cup form will not earn him a starting spot, warns Chelsea manager

Hakim Ziyech was brilliant for Morocco in the World Cup.

Hakim Ziyech was at his brilliant best as he led Morocco to an unlikely World Cup semi-final. However, Chelsea manager Graham Potter has warned the player that his great form at the international tournament will not guarantee him a starting spot with the London club.

Ziyech, who has played just 148 minutes in the league this season and whose only start came under former manager Thomas Tuchel, was linked with a move to AC Milan over the summer, but it never materialized.

Speaking about the former Ajax man, Potter said:

“We know his qualities, we like him as a player, he plays between the lines with fantastic quality as we saw in the World Cup,” said Potter.

“At Chelsea there are always good players who aren’t in the starting XI and have to be patient. I was delighted for him, kept in touch with him over the World Cup. Delighted for him that he got the game-time, delighted for him that he helped his team, he’s a good guy and he’s got quality.”