Chelsea want ANOTHER centre-back after Badiashile transfer

James Shearman

• Updated: 12 Jan 2023 17:18 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are keeping tabs on young Real Madrid defender Rafa Marin, despite signing Benoit Badiashile.

Juventus and RB Leipzig are also interested in the 20-year-old, according to The Telegraph.

And the report suggests that he would be available for a cut-price deal in the summer window.

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Marin has played 16 league games for Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, in the 2022-23 season, scoring twice.

He is understandably a player of interest to teams across Europe, but the links to Chelsea come as a surprise.

Chelsea's centre-back conundrum

Badiashile's £35 million signing from Ligue 1 side Monaco has already given Chelsea a centre-back conundrum.

Graham Potter now has the experience of Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly, as well as the youth of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Badiashile to choose from.

Add to that, academy graduate Levi Colwill is beginning to excel on loan at Potter's former club Brighton.

The 19-year-old has started the Seagulls' last four Premier League matches, winning three of them under new manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Where is the need for Rafa Marin? What Chelsea should be looking at, instead, is a right-back to offer an alternative to Reece James.

James has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons and captain Cesar Azpilicueta is no longer good enough to play at the highest level.

Or, the Blues could really do with an out-and-out striker. It seems Todd Boehly has, once again, got his priorities in the wrong order.