'Done' Chelsea deal at risk of collapse - because of €1m

Updated: 15 Aug 2026 12:34 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Chelsea thought they had rid themselves of Benoit Badiashile when they ostensibly agreed a deal with Napoli on Thursday, but complications have now left the transfer in the balance.

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The two-time France international has endured a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge. Badiashile arrived as a hugely promising young defender from AS Monaco in early 2023, with Chelsea paying €38 million to bring him in.

Fast forward three and a half years, and the 25-year-old has only made 71 appearances for the Blues. Due to injury problems and not being favoured by Enzo Maresca, Badiashile has hardly played since 2024.

Current ETV

Benoît Badiashile

D (C)

Chelsea

Benoît Badiashile

D (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€15.7M - €19.2M

He featured in just over 1,000 minutes last season, and it has been clear for some time that his days at Stamford Bridge are numbered. After being linked with an exit from Chelsea for several transfer windows, he finally looked to be on the way out earlier this week.

Serie A giants Napoli reached a breakthrough in discussions over a deal for the Frenchman after Chelsea opened the door to an initial loan move, despite favouring permanent sales for their unwanted stars this summer.

Badiashile deal at risk

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday that an agreement had been reached between the two clubs. Napoli were to cover Badiashile's salary for the season and pay a guaranteed €3m loan fee, with an additional €1m available in add-ons.

Moreover, the Italian side secured a €27m purchase option for next summer. Despite the outlay on the loan fee and salary coverage, it appeared to be a low-risk deal for Napoli given that they would be under no obligation to sign him permanently.

Because of this agreement, Romano gave the deal his trademark "here we go." However, Gianluca di Marzio now reports that complications arose on Friday, with Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis refusing to approve the transfer.

The journalist claims that negotiations have come to a "standstill" because of a disagreement over a €1m "buyout bonus." De Laurentiis does not want to pay this additional fee, and the deal is now in the balance as a result.

Di Marzio adds that former West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd is now back on Napoli's radar. The Morocco international was due to join Real Sociedad this week, but his transfer collapsed after the club noticed irregularities during his medical.

It would be somewhat ironic if the Marseille centre-back were to now end up at Napoli, considering that Italian football has some of the most stringent medical regulations for player transfers in Europe.

It remains to be seen if Napoli will proceed with the Badiashile deal or if they will pursue the potentially cheaper Naguerd - or a different alternative - instead.