“Might be wise to consider” - Chelsea told to follow Arsenal example after signing Benoit Badiashile

Chelsea have been told to follow Arsenal's example after signing France international Benoit Badiashile.

The Blues have confirmed the signing of the left-footed commanding centre-back from AS Monaco for a reported fee of £34 million, as per Goal.

The 21-year-old has signed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge after making a name for himself in AS Monaco colors.

However, France-based football correspondent Jonathan Johnson has urged the Blues to take Arsenal's example of William Saliba.

Saliba has been a key figure at the back for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side this season but had three successive spells in France on loan.

Since signing for the Gunners, he has been loaned out to Saint-Étienne, Nice and Marseille, and Johnson believes that Badiashile also needs to be loaned out. He told Football.London:

“Personally, I think that he has the makings of a good Premier League defender. However, I do not think that he is as ready as William Saliba was when he returned to Arsenal.

"Chelsea might be wise to consider loaning Badiashile back to a Ligue 1 club for at least the remainder of the season before inserting him into the rotation. I see little to no value adding him to the squad where his pathway to minutes will almost certainly be blocked."

"The sort of consistency he needs to acquire to eliminate those mistakes will only come with regular game time. [Badiashile is] definitely one for the future. I would be surprised if he gets regular starts early on unless there are a number of injuries in central defence."

Johnson has claimed that Badiashile is a long-term signing for Chelsea and might struggle if he gets a starting berth immediately.

The French football expert has demanded patience from the Chelsea fans in their latest January addition. He added:

“In fact, if he was to start immediately, there is a risk that the pressure of expectation might be too high which could complicate his development at Stamford Bridge. I certainly think another half season and perhaps even next campaign in France would better aid his growth.

“It certainly has the potential to look like a shrewd buy in the future, but it is not a signing that I expect to immediately look like a bargain. Badiashile still needs to work and the big question is whether or not Chelsea are currently set up to get the best out of players like that and to start adding value to young gems.”

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Arsenal ready to challenge Chelsea for Serie A forward

Arsenal are reportedly ready to challenge Chelsea for the signing of Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Vlahovic joined the Old Lady from Fiorentina in January 2022 in a deal £66.6 million, rejecting multiple offers from Premier League clubs, particularly Arsenal.

The Serbian international has scored 16 goals in 36 games for Juventus so far but is reportedly far from happy at the club.

Juventus could reportedly cash in on Vlahovic to reinvest in their squad and both a host of clubs are considering a move.