Chelsea sign French defender Badiashile from Monaco

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Chelsea has signed French central defender Benoit Badiashile from Monaco, the English Premier League club said on Thursday.

"Benoit Badiashile has completed a permanent transfer to Chelsea from AS Monaco, signing a seven-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge," Chelsea said in a statement.

Badiashile said he is "very happy" and "excited" to be at Chelsea, and cannot wait to play in front of the fans.

"We're delighted to welcome Benoit to Chelsea. He's an excellent young player who has quickly established a strong reputation for himself and has a huge amount of experience for his young age. We are sure he will form an important part of our team in the years ahead," Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly said.

Badiashile scored six goals in 135 appearances for Monaco, and was promoted to the club's senior team in 2018.

He played for France twice, but Les Bleus head coach Didier Deschamps did not name him in France's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.