Official: Napoli sign Chelsea defender Badiashile on loan with €20m buy option

The Serie A giants have successfully negotiated a deal to bring the former Monaco man to Italy, providing a significant boost to their backline. The club confirmed the move via their official channels on Saturday, revealing that the 25-year-old has joined on an initial temporary basis with a view to a permanent stay.

In an official statement released on the club's website, Napoli outlined the terms of the agreement, stating: 'Napoli announced that it has acquired the sporting rights to the player Benoit Badiashile from Chelsea on a temporary basis with a permanent option.' This move ends Badiashile's immediate time in London, where he featured in 16 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea last season while struggling to maintain a consistent starting role amid managerial changes at the club.

While the initial move is a loan, the financial structure of the deal ensures that Chelsea could recoup a significant portion of their original investment if the move is made permanent next summer. According to Sky Sport transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Napoli will pay a €3 million loan fee for the season, with an option to secure Badiashile permanently for an additional €20 million.

There have been some conflicting reports on the exact transfer fee, as some outlets in Italy claimed that the buy option could be as high as €27m with various add-ons and bonuses earlier this week. Badiashile becomes the latest high-profile departure from Stamford Bridge this summer, following Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid, Andrey Santos' transfer to Manchester United, and Trevoh Chalobah's departure to Como.

The arrival of the French international marks Napoli's second major first-team addition of the summer transfer window, following the signing of Costantino Favasuli from US Catanzaro earlier this week.

Badiashile originally moved to Stamford Bridge from Monaco in a €37m deal in January 2023. Prior to his spell in England, where he featured 42 times in the Premier League for Chelsea, the defender had amassed 135 competitive appearances for the Ligue 1 side.

In keeping with club tradition, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was the first to confirm the move on social media, posting 'Benvenuto Benoit' on X shortly before the official announcement was released. The signing comes on a busy day for the club, as Napoli kick off their new Serie A campaign later today with an away fixture against Genoa.