Chelsea reject AC Milan loan offer to safeguard Badiashile investment
Chelsea have blocked AC Milan’s recent inquiry about taking Benoit Badiashile on loan, protecting their long-term stake in the blossoming 22-year-old French defender.
As reported by The Sun, Chelsea paid £35 million to secure Badiashile from Monaco last January and have no intention of temporarily losing him just one year later.
Milan proposed an obligation-to-buy loan, but Chelsea rebuffed the approach with Badiashile firmly in manager Mauricio Pochettino’s plans, despite recent injury issues limiting him to just one league outing this campaign.
While Milan likely hoped to take advantage of Badiashile’s lack of minutes, Chelsea maintain belief that the talented centre-back will make a sizable impact at Stamford Bridge in the future.
At just 22 with bags of potential, Badiashile was not signed as a quick fix or short-term option. He is undoubtedly seen as a long-term building block in defence.
Having barely scratched the surface of justifying his £35 million fee and seven-year contract, it would make zero sense for Chelsea to farm Badiashile out elsewhere when he still has so much development ahead.
With first-choice defenders like Wesley Fofana, and Ben Chilwell sidelined and veteran Thiago Silva closer to the end, retaining and advancing talents like Badiashile should be the priority.
There will surely be loan interest again in Badiashile if playing time remains scarce. But Chelsea must hold firm; losing players like him is precisely what led to last season’s disastrous slump.
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For a club striving to build sustainably after years of quick-fix signings backfired, Badiashile symbolizes a promising new blueprint at the back. Shipping him out temporarily would counter that.