£32m Chelsea player 'won't be sold' as he is 'key' for Enzo Maresca as Tottenham 'lose hope' over AC Milan man
Enzo Maresca is a fan of Chelsea defender who has come under criticism recently.
Another Premier League game week awaits us - Chelsea will take on Arsenal, West Ham United face Everton and Crystal Palace are due to square off against Fulham this weekend. In the meantime, let’s take a look at what is happening in the rumour mill around England's top division today.
A Chelsea defender is ‘not for sale’, despite speculation surrounding the his status - he is said to be ‘highly thought of’ at the club and is part of their ‘long-term’ future. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have hit something of a stumbling block in their January transfer plans. They are looking to add an AC Milan midfielder to their ranks, but the player is not for sale.
Chelsea will ‘not’ sell Benoit Badiashile
Chelsea are not looking to sell Benoit Badiashile at this moment in time, despite sporadic reports to the contrary - Blues head coach Enzo Maresca sees the player as a ‘long term’ member of their senior squad.
This is according to a post on X from Fabrizio Romano, who wrote: “Chelsea do not consider Benoit Badiashile a player for sale, as he’s highly thought of at Stamford Bridge. He is considered part of the long-term project at Chelsea and everyone at the club strongly believes he has a bright future at the club.”
While Badiashile has not quite reached the levels that some thought he may at this stage in his career, he still has plenty of growing to do. At just 23 years of age, his prime years are still well ahead of him. Furthermore, he has struggled for game time this season. He has largely been relegated to appearances in the EFL cup and the Europa Conference League - he has yet to be included in a Premier League starting XI in 2024/25.
Chelsea signed Badiashile from Monaco in 2023 for a reported fee of £32.7 million. Since then, he has made 30 Premier League appearances for the Blues, scoring a single goal along the way. On top of this, he has also made a pair of appearances on the international stage for his native France.
Tottenham Hotspur ‘very unlikely’ to sign Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan
Recently, Tottenham have been linked with a move for Tijani Reijnders at AC Milan - however, a new development indicates that they will not be making a move for the player any time soon.
This is according to a report from journalist Pete O’Rourke on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast. Ange Postecoglou is ‘keen’ to make additions to the centre of midfield at Spurs, but he may need to look elsewhere in this instance.
Reijnders is currently enjoying a fruitful season at the San Siro Stadium. He has made 12 appearances for AC Milan in the current campaign, scoring three goals and notching up a pair of assists along the way. He is a key member of their squad, having played every minute of their Champions League season at this point. As such, the Italian giants have no intention of allowing the player to leave the club at this stage.