Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile is on the brink of a loan move to Napoli, with multiple Italian outlets reporting that the 25-year-old will undergo his medical on Tuesday, August 18.

According to Corriere dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, the examination will take place at Villa Stuart in Rome — the standard venue for new Napoli arrivals — before Badiashile travels south to Naples. Corriere dello Sport adds that the Frenchman was expected to land in Italy on Monday ahead of the medical.

The financial terms

Napoli will pay Chelsea a loan fee of €3 million, with a further €1 million in potential add-ons. The deal also includes an option to buy the defender for €27 million at the end of the arrangement.

Why Napoli need cover

The Partenopei have been forced into the market by an injury crisis at centre-back. Alessandro Buongiorno, Sam Beukema, and Luca Marianucci all sustained problems during pre-season. Buongiorno's situation is the most serious — the Italian underwent meniscus surgery in late July and is not expected to return before January 2027, per Corriere della Sera.

Badiashile's Chelsea career

Badiashile arrived at Stamford Bridge from Monaco in a €38 million transfer in January 2023. He made 71 appearances for the Blues in total, yet featured only 16 times across all competitions throughout the 2025-26 season, prompting the club to sanction a temporary departure.