Who is new £34m Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile & why did they sign him?

In case you weren't paying attention, Badiashile is a centre-back.

When you consider his towering 6'4 frame, that's hardly surprising - but there's far more to his game than bulldozing attackers and winning aerial duels.

Born in Limoges in 2001, Badiashile began his career with Limoges FC and then joined SC Malesherbes at the age of 12.

He was spotted by Luc Cerrajero, a scout for Monaco in the Centre region of France, who directed him to the Pole Espoirs in Chateauroux, an academy system supported by the French Football Federation (FFF).

At 16, Badiashile signed his first professional contract with Monaco, and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was the first coach to give him a chance in the senior team.

A clip of the pair went viral in 2018 when Henry gave his player evils after he failed to tuck in his chair after a press conference.

This Thierry Henry moment! 🤨😅

Two years to the day since he gave Benoit Badiashile the biggest glare you'll see 👀pic.twitter.com/g31CqtU59c

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 11, 2020

In his defensive work, Badiashile is a physically-imposing presence who is prepared to put his body on the line for the cause, and he also boasts the kind of pace that comes in very handy when making recoveries.

Ball-playing ability is a prerequisite for any centre-back who wants to play for an elite club, and Badiashile ticks that box too.

In his time at Monaco the defender has demonstrated he is adept at carrying the ball out from the back, but rather than just marauding forward, his passing ability ensures he also keeps possession and progresses play.

Badiashile even has a trademark pass: a sweeping diagonal ball from deep on the left flank out to the right wing.

The Frenchman was earmarked by Chelsea because they were searching for a specialist left-sided centre-back, capable of slotting into their back three as and when required, but also with age on their side.

RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol had been a long-term target for the role, but his rising value after starring at the World Cup led Chelsea to seek alternatives of a similar profile.

According to The Athletic, the Blues honed in on Badiashile following an extensive scouting process of left-sided centre-backs under the age of 25, with new owner Todd Boehly keen to build a squad that can compete for years to come.

Despite being just 21 years of age, Badiashile is already a full France international.

Having risen through Les Bleus youth sides from Under-16 to Under-21, the centre-back was called up to Didier Deschamps' senior squad for Nations League games against Austria and Denmark in September and started both matches.

He was even scored a lofty mark of seven out of 10 by the notoriously hyper-critical French publication L'Equipe for his performance against Austria.

However, as a result of stiff competition the youngster did not make the cut for France's 26-man 2022 World Cup squad.