Chelsea's unremitting hunt for a dominant left-footed centre-half could soon draw to a close, with Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile set to undergo his medical at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old French international, who has penned a deal with the Blues worth just shy of £35million, will hand Graham Potter an extra option in defence in the absence of Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who are all injured.
Todd Boehly's latest splurge of the war chest follows the arrivals of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka and Fofana last summer, although the American's investment has not borne fruit on the pitch so far this season.
Chelsea sit eighth in the Premier League following their New Year's Day draw against strugglers Nottingham Forest and find themselves seven points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Blues fans will hope Badiashile is the missing piece in Potter's jigsaw puzzle as the head coach continues to search for his ideal starting line-up and navigate the club's growing injury list.
Sportsmail has assessed the youngster's profile and analysed his statistics for Monaco this season.
Career so far
Born in the French city of Limoges, Badiashile joined Monaco's academy in 2016 after showing promise as a youth player for regional outfit Malesherbes.
The centre-half has represented France at youth level since his first call-up to the under-16s, and has earned two senior international caps under Didier Deschamps.
Impressing during his two years in Monaco's youth ranks, Badiashile went on to rivet the gaze of the first-team squad and eventually made his senior debut for the club in 2018-19.
The 21-year-old has since become a stalwart at the back for the French side, chalking up 135 appearances between 2018 and 2022.
Badiashile played 35 league matches to help Monaco finish third in Ligue 1 last season and has since started 14 games this campaign.
Position
Badiashile is adept playing both as a central defender in a back four system and as a left-sided centre-half within a defensive three.
His positional profile suits Potter's versatile approach to management - the former Brighton boss began his Chelsea career with a defensive three-man shape before favouring a more conventional back four since the World Cup break.
Despite Chelsea's injury woes of late, the new star faces a glut of competition with Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Fofana and teenage Bashir Humphreys to compete with at centre-half.
Even hybrid defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Cucurella are capable of playing in a back three, although it is not considered their natural position.
However, despite making a handful of additions in the transfer window, Chelsea have struggled to replace Antonio Rudiger's presence on the left of defence since his move to Real Madrid.
Koulibaly initially lined up on the left before switching to the right-hand side, and Cucurella - who Potter tried there as a natural left-footer - failed to lock down the position long-term, subsequently moving up into left wing-back after Chilwell's long-term injury.
Although right-footed Rudiger prospered in the position, Chelsea have been crying out for a natural in the position for years and seem to have finally lured their man.
Although right-footed Rudiger prospered in the position, Chelsea have been crying out for a natural in the position for years and seem to have finally lured their man.
The west London club once hoped Malang Sarr would emerge a future stalwart at the left of defence, but the former Nice star has since been ostracised from Chelsea's first team plans and taken up loan spells at Porto and Monaco as a result.
Badiashile certainly shares a similar physical profile to Rudiger - but it remains to be seen whether he simply becomes another Sarr or develops into a future Chelsea legend.
What the stats say
Data shows that Badiashile has excelled at aerial duels and clearances so far this season, which bodes well for his hopes of adapting quickly to the physicality of the Premier League.
The Monaco centre-back has recorded a better aerial duels success rate than any other Chelsea defender so far this season, winning 74.2 per cent of his battles in the air.
In comparison, Silva has only triumphed in 68.8 per cent of his aerial duels, while Fofana and Koulibaly have won 57.1 per cent and 54.3 per cent respectively.
Badiashile has also averaged 4.2 clearances every 90 minutes and scored two goals from defence, flaunting a superior record in both categories compared to the rest of Potter's back line.
However, the defender's passing accuracy has failed to live up to that of Silva and Fofana so far this campaign, with the centre-half only making 86.1 per cent of his passes.
By comparison, Silva has an accuracy rate of 90.2 per cent, while Fofana boasts the best passing record among defenders at Stamford Bridge with 95.5 per cent.