Benoit Badiashile is on the verge of leaving Monaco after a deal was struck with Chelsea, Philippe Clement has suggested.

Reports on Sunday claimed the 21-year-old defender was on the verge of joining the Blues.

Badiashile did not feature as Monaco defeated Brest in Ligue 1, with coach Clement confirming that a deal had been agreed between the clubs.

Clement revealed no agreement had been reached between Chelsea and Badiashile, though indicated the defender would be going ahead with the move.

"I can say that this morning, Benoit Badiashile was with us at the hotel," he told reporters.

"At that moment, I was contacted by our directors who told me that there was an agreement between Monaco and another team, it's a team that I know interests Benoit, but there is no agreement with him."

Clement explained he took the decision to leave Badiashile out against Brest.

"Afterwards, our managers asked me if he could leave today or not. It was my choice. I spoke with Benoit and he wanted to be there for the team," he added.

"But I was sometimes in situations like him. I think that when there is an agreement with the team you are interested in, you don't have your head in the game at 200 per cent.

"With a player who has given everything for us over the last few months, seasons, for the club, who has always been positive, who has always been a fighter, who has always been there for us.

"It was a normal decision for me to say that he could go today to talk with the club, in this situation, when there is an agreement between the clubs."

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with Graham Potter unable to offer an update on the Badiashile transfer following that match.

Monaco head coach Philippe Clement hopes Takumi Minamino can bring new qualities to his side as the Liverpool forward closes on a move to Ligue 1.

Minamino is widely expected to join Monaco in the coming days, with the club reportedly agreeing a €13.3million (£15.5m) deal to sign the Japan international.

The forward has scored four goals in 30 Premier League appearances for Liverpool since joining from Salzburg in 2020, but he started only five of those games as he struggled for regular minutes in Jurgen Klopp's star-studded side, spending half a season on loan at Southampton.

Ahead of Monaco's 1-0 friendly win over Cercle Brugge on Sunday, Clement revealed Minamino was set to complete his move to the principality and affirmed his belief in the 27-year-old's ability.

"I'm very happy, I've known him for a long time," Clement said of Minamino. "He was very high on our list. Everyone here is convinced that he has the qualities to bring something to the team.

"He already has experience and has done a lot of good things at Salzburg, in a style close to ours, just like at Liverpool where there is a lot of competition. That's why this is an opportunity."

Monaco ended the 2021-22 season third in Ligue 1, having finished the previous campaign in the same position.

Monaco have appointed Philippe Clement as their new head coach, two days after sacking Niko Kovac.

Clement joins the Ligue 1 outfit from Belgian side Club Brugge, where he had been in charge since 2019.

He guided them to the Belgian Pro League title in both of his two full seasons at the helm, while he also claimed the Belgian Super Cup in 2021.

Former Bayern Munich coach Kovac succeeded Robert Moreno in July 2020 on a three-year deal and finished third in his only full campaign in charge.

However, Monaco lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League qualifying play-off stages in August and sit sixth in Ligue 1 after 19 matches.

They won three of their final four league games of 2021, but confirmed on Saturday that Kovac had been relieved of his duties.

Monaco defeated Quevilly Rouen 3-1 in the Coupe de France the following day, with their Ligue 1 campaign restarting next Sunday with a trip to Nantes.