Chelsea and Napoli still a long way off for Badiashile | OneFootball

Chelsea and Napoli are still a long way off from agreeing a deal for defender Benoit Badiashile, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Blues are looking to get the Frenchman off their books following an underwhelming three-year spell at the club.

Chelsea need to streamline their squad, and Badiashile is surplus to requirements.

The 25-year-old is yet to feature in pre-season, a sign that he has no future with them.

Napoli entered the picture with a loan deal that includes a buy option. It looked like they were close to finally signing their first-choice defensive target.

However, they are not close to signing the Chelsea star despite being ready to press forward with a deal.

Chelsea are already complete at the back following the recent addition of Maxence Lacroix.

They must now focus on selling and loaning players from their bloated squad to avoid saddling manager Xabi Alonso with too many options.

Axel Disasi is also on his way out, with a loan offer on the table, including an obligation to buy.

Chelsea must ditch their deadwood

The defensive clear-out should not stop with Badiashile and Disasi. Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo must also follow them out the door.

Fofana’s injury record makes him a particularly difficult player to rely on, while Adarabioyo has struggled to establish himself as an indispensable part of the squad.

Moving them on would give Alonso even more room to work with while helping Chelsea reduce their wage bill.

Josh Acheampong, Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino should all be sent out on loan, rather than being left on the fringes of Alonso’s squad.

All three need regular senior football to continue their development, and sitting on the bench at Stamford Bridge would do little for them.

A well-chosen loan move could give each defender the game time, responsibility and experience required to return as more complete players.