Chelsea wasted little time this January transfer window. A promising 18-year-old striker David Datro Fofana yes complete move to Stamford BridgeVasco da Gama’s extraordinary 18-year-old midfielder Andrey Santos was in London awaiting the completion of his transfer, and is now 21 AS Monaco focus back Benoit Badiashile yes signed with the Blues.
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So, who is Badiashile, and what can Chelsea fans expect from their latest rookie? Tor-Kristian Karlsen analyzes every detail of the France international’s game and illustrates the football journey that took him from Monte Carlo to west London.
Who is Badiashile?
Another graduate of the ever-growing Monaco academy, Badiashile signed his first professional contract with the principality in January 2018 after joining the club’s youth system at the age of 15. The son of a nurse and an architect – with family ties to the Democratic Party of the Democratic Republic of the Congo – was soon picked out by the French national team system, of which he was a regular member. regularly since representing those under the age of 16.
At just 17 years old, he made his Ligue 1 debut – in a 4–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in November 2018 – by then-coach Thierry Henry. A few weeks later, at a press conference before a championship competition, Henry expressed his displeasure with the player for refusing to sit in the chair, thus blocking the way to his own seat. However, Badiashile has been a constant presence for Monaco since his debut, mainly playing at left-back and occasionally appearing at left-back. Despite his unexpected first-team debut at such a young age, the defender is rarely out of place, overly scared or annoyed, and always impresses with his maturity, intelligence and style. calm demeanor.
After four years of gradual growth – and over 100 Ligue 1 appearances – Badiashile was called up to the French national team, with his full debut in a 2-0 victory over Austria in the Nations League in September. Even though he didn’t play a single match at the World Cup, being on the Qatar team is still a remarkable achievement given that France has countless world-class centre-backs. Badiashile’s most recent game in blue France’s U21 team arrives in November, the team he has been an integral member of for the past three years and is the preferred choice in the 2021 European Under-21 Championship – again amid a host of quality options. high quantity.
position
With the exception of a few appearances at left-back, Badiashile has played as a centre-back for Monaco, where he has excelled on the left flank of the centre-back pairing. As all of his head coaches at club level – Henry, Niko Kovac and incumbent, Philippe Clement – favored a back four, the 21-year-old was rarely tested. in the position of a 3-man defender on the left wing, which is said to be the top priority. the role he is expected to take on at Chelsea. However, there is nothing in his skill set to suggest that he should not succeed in that position either. On the contrary, it may suit him even more.
strength
Standing 6 foot-4, the Frenchman would probably prove more useful in the air than on the ground. However, while his dominance in the air is still there (he usually wins 75% of his fights in the air), it is his measured, elegant, controlled temperament that is likely to hit the mark. the first home when evaluating the technically powerful, mobile defender.
Right from his first-team debut, he was rarely stressed, overworked, or the kind of person who allowed himself to lose his mind. He is aware of possession and thanks to a good touch, he freely steps up with the ball to take his time looking for the best options. Once the main defender at a ball-loving team, the tall centre-back is used to seeing and feeling a lot of the ball. He seems ideally suited to Chelsea’s need for a natural left-footed centre-back to make the first passes out of defence.
Tall and glossy can often be combined to create a somewhat languid figure; this is not the case for Badiashile. He’s responsive, predictive, he’s aggressive and happily tackles one-on-one situations outside the box (70% success rate from his challenges in 2022, rate This ratio is “okay” not “exceptional”.) As a great athlete, his speed over short and medium distances is also impressive. While he’s tended to commit excessive fouls in the past, he seems less hasty than before (0.8 fouls per game last year, down slightly from 1.1 in 2021).
Weaknesses
In terms of physical strength, technique and tactics, the French player can be considered a quite comprehensive central defender. Generally alert, largely without the major distractions that sometimes even the finest centre-backs can make, he is not particularly prone to errors – although as witnessed with Kalidou Koulibalysome time adapting to Premier League should be allowed to him like any other newly arrived centre-back.
However, there are some minor tweaks — observations more suited to coaches than scouts — that might be worth looking into to make small but noticeable improvements to his game. And that should come with experience. He can be even more assertive in duels in the box; he can appear too nervous about conceding penalties by pulling out while the final tackle is in progress. Likewise, he may also have a tendency to turn too quickly when trying to block a shot instead of facing the ball and use his entire body to thwart the effort.
Where he fits in at Chelsea
As a well-trained defender from one of the top academies in Europe, Badiashile will have some problems with anything Graham Potter has in store for him. As mentioned before, he’s completely used to playing in a back four, but on the left flank in a three-man defence – in which he has plenty of time on the ball and is in charge of goalkeeping. created from behind, and aided by the presence of Thiago Silva – could suit him even more.
