October 14th 2024.
According to former Chelsea defender William Gallas, the £35m signing of Benoit Badiashile from Monaco was not a wise move for the Premier League team. Gallas believes that Badiashile, who joined Chelsea in January 2023, is not at the level required for the intense competition of the Premier League. Despite making over 100 appearances for Monaco and representing France at the international level, Badiashile has struggled to secure a spot in Chelsea's starting lineup.
Since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Badiashile has only made 11 appearances in the 2022-23 season and has yet to feature in a Premier League game this season. This lack of playing time does not come as a surprise to Gallas, who had doubts about Badiashile's ability to succeed in the Premier League after watching him play in Ligue 1. "He has quality, but not at Premier League level," Gallas shared with Prime Casino. "I was really surprised when Chelsea signed him and now he is suffering on the bench because he isn't playing."
Badiashile signed a long-term contract with Chelsea when he joined the team, but under the management of Enzo Maresca, he has been overlooked in favor of other defenders. Maresca has opted for a center-back partnership of Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, which has proven to be successful for the team. Despite Chelsea's strong defensive performances, Gallas believes that they will struggle to secure a top-four spot this season due to a lack of consistency.
The recent 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at home has only reinforced Gallas' doubts about Chelsea's chances for a top-four finish. "Chelsea have shown more positives than negatives this season, but they should be beating teams like Nottingham Forest at home," Gallas stated. "I think they will miss out on the top four because it's all about consistency."
However, Maresca has a different perspective on Chelsea's progress under his management. He is pleased with the team's current position in the Premier League and their ability to adapt and perform in different types of games. "When we started the season, to think that by the second international break we would be fourth and playing the way we are, it's something I am very happy about," Maresca shared.
Despite Maresca's optimism, Chelsea's biggest challenge of the season awaits them on Sunday as they face early league leaders Liverpool at Anfield. This will be a true test of their abilities and a chance to prove Gallas wrong in his prediction. Regardless of the outcome, it's clear that Chelsea will need to continue to perform consistently if they want to secure a top-four finish in the competitive Premier League.
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