Updated: 31 Jul 2026 15:11 BST |
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Napoli are progressing in talks with Chelsea over a possible summer move for wantaway defender Benoit Badiashile, as per reports in Italy.
The Frenchman, 25, only made 16 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea last season and after being omitted from the Blues’ final eight Premier League matches of the campaign, he is expected to depart before Deadline Day.
It’s understood that Badiashile is open to leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, while the west London giants are eager to finalise a permanent sale following the signing of his compatriot Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace.
Badiashile, alongside fellow Frenchman Axel Disasi, was excluded from Chelsea’s pre-season squad for their tour of Australia due to transfer negotiations and new boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he wants at least four centre-backs to be offloaded before the window closes on 1 September.
Badiashile is expected to be one of those who depart and Napoli have emerged as strong suitors over the past few days.
It has been widely reported that Chelsea want to sanction a permanent sale this summer, but the Serie A outfit are currently locked in negotiations over an initial loan deal for the 25-year-old, as per Nicolo Schira.
The Italian transfer reporter posted on X: “Talks in progress for Benoit Badiashile to Napoli from Chelsea on loan with the option to buy for a total package of €20-23M. The centre-back has given his availability to join Napoli.”
It’s understood that Badiashile has given the ‘green light’ to proceed and formal talks are likely to ramp up over the next few weeks as Chelsea look to offload the France centre-back before the 2026-27 campaign kicks off.
The likes of Trevoh Chalobah, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu are also set to leave Stamford Bridge shortly, with the Chelsea hierarchy keen to oversee a sizable squad overhaul following their failure to qualify for European football last season.
Why Benoit Badiashile exit is crucial for Chelsea
Chelsea currently have 10 senior central defenders on their books and given they will have a maximum of 51 matches to play next season, that is simply far too many.
Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Josh Acheampong and Lacroix appear set to stay in west London this summer, while Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino are likely to be loaned out.
However, Chelsea need to sanction the permanent departures of Chalobah, Disasi and Badiashile, either via an immediate sale or with a loan deal that includes a buy option or a buy obligation.
Otherwise, they will once again head into a season with too many players on their books. Thus, offloading Badiashile is an urgent priority for this summer.
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