Chelsea and Manchester United are both interested in signing Monaco center-back Benoit Badiashile this summer, according to reports.
Both Premier League clubs have made defensive additions this summer, but they want more. Following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, the Blues, in particular, are looking for two more defenders to replace Kalidou Koulibaly.
Meanwhile, United has signed Lisandro Martinez from Ajax as a versatile option.
If new manager Erik ten Hag can trim his current ranks, there is still hope for another centre-back raid.
Manchester United and Chelsea have previously been linked with Monaco’s France Under-21 international Badiashile. And, according to L’Equipe, the 21-year-old is back on their radar.
For the time being, the Premier League duo are keeping an eye on his pre-season progress as he continues his meteoric rise with his Ligue 1 club.
However, their interest could materialise, especially with Sevilla making the most advances towards Badiashile. Indeed, the La Liga club met with Monaco and offered a player in order to reduce the fee for the Frenchman.
However, Monaco insists on a minimum fee of €50 million (£42.2 million) for Badiashile. United’s deal for Martinez, worth up to £57 million, means that signing Badiashile would bring their defensive spending to at least £99 million.
