Chelsea have reached an agreement with Monaco for central defender Axel Disasi for €45 million as a replacement for compatriot Wesley Fofana.
David Ornstein of The Athletic confirmed Chelsea’s swift move for Axel Disasi. The Stamford Bridge outfit agreed on a €45 million fee with Monaco for the 25-year-old centre-back, becoming the second defender from the French side to join the London giants.
Monaco have been very clear with their business model, buying players on the cheap to develop for resale purposes. In the span of six months, they have sold two of their centre-backs to Chelsea alone for more than €80 million.
Benoit Badiashile made his switch in January, and now Chelsea have agreed on a €45 million deal for Axel Disasi. The 25-year-old is an imposing centre-back in French football and has been one of the standout defenders in the division.
A host of clubs had eyes for Disasi in this window, including Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. There were also glances from Newcastle United earlier, but that cooled down as their priorities changed.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with AS Monaco to sign defender Axel Disasi. #CFC set to pay #ASMonaco ~€45m for 25yo France int’l. Right centre-back option. Fofana out for considerable period due to knee injury @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/hiCbrWoiNo
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 30, 2023
There was an immediate need for a right centre-back at Chelsea following the unprecedented injury to Wesley Fofana. The former Leicester star will miss a significant portion of the season with a serious knee problem, and the Blues wanted to bring in a replacement.
They have wasted little time negotiating a €45 million deal with Monaco for Disasi, with personal terms not considered an issue. The report fails to mention any add-ons in the deal, which presumably will have only fixed fees.
Monaco are closing in on Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu in a €15 million deal, and the Ghanaian will likely replace Disasi in their setup. The move will come as a minor blow for Manchester United, who had kept their eyes on the defender.
Monaco quoted a fee of around €45-50 million when Manchester United came calling. With the Red Devils busy finalising deals for other targets may have put Disasi on the back burner for now. They recently agreed on a move for Rasmus Hojlund and will now move to sign a new midfielder in the coming weeks.
As for Chelsea, Disasi is an imposing centre-back that will significantly strengthen their backline for the upcoming season. While the club views him as a replacement for Fofana, the 25-year-old is also an upgrade over Trevoh Chalobah, who could leave in this window.
