La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly interested in Benoit Badiashile but might not be able to afford to sign the 21-year-old French centre-back.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Benoit Badiashile is the subject of interest from Barcelona. But the Catalan giants will not be able to afford to sign the 21-year-old AS Monaco centre-back in the ongoing transfer window and might pursue him next year if he is still at the principality club.
Benoit Badiashile is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe, with the Frenchman making significant progress since breaking into the first-team setup at AS Monaco as a 17-year-old in November 2018. And the youngster is now a pivotal figure at Stade Louis II.
The 21-year-old has turned out 119 times thus far for AS Monaco, chipping in with four goals and three assists. Badiashile’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with some of the most high-profile clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Barcelona stems from Xavi Hernandez’s desire to have a new left-footed centre-back at his disposal. The Blaugrana will hope to get rid of Samuel Umtiti in the summer transfer window amid links with several French clubs, including Stade Rennais.
In addition, Clement Lenglet is on the verge of completing a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur, leaving Xavi without a left-footed centre-back at his disposal. The Barcelona manager has thus identified Badiashile as his ideal signing, although the Catalan giants are not going to launch the offensive to sign him this summer.
Badiashile still has two years left on his AS Monaco contract and will likely be out of Barcelona’s reach this summer. Instead, the Blaugrana will continue to pursue another French centre-back in Jules Kounde, who, in turn, wants to move to Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.
But if Badiashile is still at AS Monaco next summer, Barcelona might launch the offensive to secure his services, considering he will have one year left on his contract. For now, the 21-year-old remains an impossible dream for Barcelona as they continue to rebuild their first-team squad under Xavi Hernandez.
