London, Jan 5 (IANS): Chelsea on Thursday signed defender Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco on a seven-and-a-half-year contract.

The 21-year old Badiashile has spent five seasons in Ligue 1 and made 135 league appearances for Monaco. The central defender recently made his senior debut for France, having represented Les Bleus all the way up from Under-16 level.

"I'm very happy to be here at Chelsea. I'm so excited to start playing for this club," said Badiashile in a club statement.

"I can't wait to see the fans and start playing in the best league in the world," he added.

The Frenchman has featured in the Champions League and Europa League for Monaco, making almost 150 appearances in all competitions.

Badiashile earned a regular place as Monaco's left-sided centre-back while still a teenager and was handed his international debut by Didier Deschamps back in September aged just 21, a reward for his prominent role in back-to-back third-place finishes for the Principality side in Ligue 1.

"We're delighted to welcome Benoit to Chelsea.He's an excellent young player who has quickly established a strong reputation for himself and has a huge amount of experience for his young age. We are sure he will form an important part of our team in the years ahead," said Blues chairman Todd Boehly.

Graham Potter's side sit 10th in the Premier League, after earning a point against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.