Juventus 'eye Chelsea defender' as solution to injury crisis | OneFootball

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile has been identified as a January transfer window target for Italian giants Juventus, according to a report.

The 23-year-old joined the Blues in January 2023 and made 18 Premier League appearances last season under Mauricio Pochettino. However, he has appeared just once in England's top flight this time around, with Enzo Maresca almost exclusively deploying the former Monaco star in Conference League and Carabao Cup fixtures.

Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill have been regular partners in central defence, while Badiashile has featured in the lower-profile clashes alongside Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi and Renato Viega. However, he could be given the opportunity to move to Serie A to help Juve deal with a mounting injury crisis.

Badiashile has played plenty of Conference League football / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Badiashile is included on a Juve shortlist of possible transfer targets in January, with more options needed in reserve after serious anterior cruciate ligament blows sidelined Gleison Bremer and, more recently, Juan Cabal.

Their absences leave Danilo, Federico Gatti and Pierre Kalulu as the current available options at manager Thiago Motta's disposal, but a winter move could be made to afford La Vecchia Signora more flexibility at the back.

Alongside Badiashile, Paris Saint-Germain's Milan Skriniar, Feyenoord's David Hancko, Tottenham Hotspur's Radu Dragusin, Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah and Fulham's Joachim Andersen have all been listed as potential targets at the start of 2025.

Badiashile has helped Chelsea win all three of their Conference League matches so far this season, though they exited the Carabao Cup in October with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James' Park.