Marseille interested in Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile | OneFootball

A return to France could be on the cards for Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile this summer.

According to reports from French publication L’Equipe, Ligue 1 giants Olympique Marseille have sounded out an interest in the Blues centre-back.

Badiashile joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023. The Blues paid £35 million to snap him up from AS Monaco, and he arrived at Stamford Bridge with plenty of promise.

However, the 24-year-old has struggled to live up to expectations. Injuries have hampered his development at Stamford Bridge, and he has fallen down the pecking order.

However, Enzo Maresca is still a fan of the towering 6ft3 centre-back. Badiashile has only managed 54 appearances for Chelsea since joining the club two years ago.

Chelsea are spoiled for options at centre-back, and competition for places has pushed him below Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Trevoh Chalobah in the pecking order.

Last season, the Frenchman featured just 21 times across all competitions.

Five of those came in the Premier League, where he only managed three starts, while most of his game time came in the Europa Conference League.

His only appearance in the Club World Cup so far came in Chelsea’s most recent 3-0 win against ES Tunis, and he gave a decent account of himself.

He recorded 101 touches, three clearances, and two tackles. He also won 100% of his aerial battles (2/2) and 50% of his ground duels (2/4).

However, his place in the team is far from secure, and Chelsea could consider a deal if Marseille acts on their interest.

Badiashile’s struggle for playing time could get worse when Wesley Fofana returns from injury, and Mamadou Sarr’s arrival from RC Strasbourg places more pressure on the Frenchman.

Chelsea don’t necessarily need to sell before they can bolster their squad this summer. But if a decent proposal comes in for Badiashile, it would be difficult for them to pass up the chance to cash in.