Chelsea handed January transfer twist in Premier League battle for £40m star
Wolves and Aston Villa are battling it out to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea before next week's deadline, football.london understands.
The 26-year-old defender has been a bit-part player under Enzo Maresca this season - featuring just six times in the Premier League, with four of them coming from the start. Disasi has been more of a constant figure in the cup competitions but has failed to cement a place in Maresca's plans with performances that have put him under the microscope of the Chelsea fan base.
The French defender signed for Chelsea in August 2023 in a deal understood to be around £40million but has been linked with an exit this month as he looks for more regular football elsewhere. Two Premier League clubs in Wolves and Villa are now understood to be interested in signing Disasi, who is considering his options at the moment, sources have told football.london, while Chelsea are in a similar boat.
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Co-sporting director Laurence Stewart played a big hand in bringing Disasi to the club around 18 months ago, football.london understands. Stewart was previously the sporting director and technical director at AS Monaco, the club Chelsea signed Disasi from. In fact, Stewart had not long started in the role of sporting director with the Monegasque outfit when Disasi was signed there from Reims.
Chelsea have been open to letting the defender leave this month despite injuries to Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana. The west Londoners did recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace earlier in the month to combat the injury problems.
It has not yet been determined whether Disasi will leave Stamford Bridge for good or whether it will be on a loan deal until the end of the season. However, with seven days remaining of the January transfer window, this is a move that feels like it has legs given Disasi's struggles in a Chelsea shirt this season.
