Chelsea made changes in central defence during the summer, which saw Benoit Badiashile join Napoli on a season-long loan deal.

While Maxence Lacroix was brought in from Crystal Palace, Badiashile left Stamford Bridge and may have played his last game for the Blues. Badiashile had a difficult time at Chelsea, partly because of injuries.

Chelsea congratulated Napoli on their management of Badiashile

In fact, Badiashile’s loan was going so well that Chelsea decided to call Napoli and congratulate them on a job well done in managing the Frenchman following all his injury problems.

Speaking on Radio Marte, journalist Sandro Sabatini revealed: “Last week, Chelsea called Napoli to congratulate them on their management of Badiashile. He’s a strong player; I didn’t expect that.”

In total, Badiashile has made four appearances in Serie A this season, three of which have been starts. He has also played in one Champions League game, which ended in defeat to Villarreal.

Chelsea wanted around £25m for Badiashile in the summer but were unable to find a buyer, hence his temporary switch to Napoli. However, that could eventually become a permanent one.

Why Benoit Badiashile phone call matters

Napoli have a £23m buy option, which Chelsea would ideally like to see Napoli trigger. Badiashile has no future at Stamford Bridge, especially with the Blues being linked with other central defenders.

For example, Chelsea are thought to be keen on signing Como’s Jacobo Ramon. Whether they sign Ramon or not, the facts are Badiashile has lost his spot in the Chelsea senior squad and is unlikely to ever win it back.

Chelsea need to maintain good relations with Napoli, keep track of Badiashile’s progress and almost sweet-talk their Italian counterparts into paying the £23m fee to sign the France international permanently. It is why their praise of Napoli’s handling of Badiashile and the phone call was so important. A good relationship could be key in selling the former AS Monaco man to Napoli.