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Chelsea are in talks with Monaco to sign French centre-back Benoît Badiashile.
The 21 year old, who can play either in a back three, or in a more conventional back four, was the subject of interest from Newcastle United earlier this year, but then picked up an injury before they were in a position to finalise a bid.
The left-sided defender is an aggressive and tall figure, and is regarded by some as a replacement for Antonio Rüdiger who left the club for Real Madrid at the end of last season.
The Stamford Bridge club remain heavily interested in Croatian centre back Joško Gvardiol, but, having had a bid for him in the summer turned down, they are aware that the valuation put on him by his club RB Leipzig has only increased since his performances at the World Cup.
At around £35 million, Badiashile is a comparatively cheaper alternative.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.