Chelsea are moving for AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile.

The Athletic says a ew defender is a priority and the 21-year-old has now emerged as a top target.

They are already in talks with Monaco as they look to finalise a deal for the coming weeks.

Chelsea will need to pay around £31m to sign the centre-back.

The 21-year-old joined the Monegasques youth ranks in 2016 and has risen through the academy system to become one of the most highly-rated young defenders in Europe.

Badiashile has already made 135 appearances for Monaco in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing three assists from the heart of defence since becoming a regular in the 2018-19 campaign.