Out-of-favour Chelsea defender Axel Disasi is on the verge of joining fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal this summer.
According to an update from reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea and Crystal Palace have an agreement over a season-long loan deal. The West London outfit will receive an unspecified loan fee, with the Eagles covering the 28-year-old defender’s salary. The report has suggested that Disasi has already begun his medical checks, bringing him close to securing a loan move to Crystal Palace.
The agreement comes after comments by Pierre Sage, where he discussed the possibility of a deal. The Crystal Palace head coach said via The Standard, “Yes. We need a player in this department, a player with a lot of games, if possible, in the Premier League. We need players, but we need a leader and that’s why we need to wait a little bit to find a good one. He’s a player from Chelsea. It is difficult for me to speak about a player of another club, but I hear the same noise as you.”
Axel Disasi and his career regression
Axel Disasi has been at a crossroads in his career over the last two years, even though a loan stint with West Ham briefly revived his fortunes. The 28-year-old had become part of the “bomb squad” at Chelsea despite a solid debut season after moving to Stamford Bridge from AS Monaco in a deal worth €45 million in August 2023. However, he lost his spot under Enzo Maresca and never regained it.
Disasi’s performances at West Ham attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs. The French defender was a regular for West Ham in the second half of the 2025/26 season, accumulating over 1,500 minutes across 17 appearances for West Ham while scoring one goal. A move across London is nearing completion.
Why are Crystal Palace interested in a Disasi transfer?
Crystal Palace’s interest in Axel Disasi has been understandable. The Eagles have been combing the market for multiple experienced centre-backs, as they failed to fill Marc Guehi’s void after selling the English international to Manchester City earlier this year. To compound the issue, Maxence Lacroix joined Crystal Palace earlier this summer.
Several candidates have thus emerged on Crystal Palace’s wishlist, with Takehiro Tomiyasu already arriving for free. Disasi also emerged as a viable target despite struggling for regular game time in the last few years, as the French defender has considerable experience in the Premier League, which should allow him to hit the ground running at Selhurst Park.
The move concludes a defensive rebuild that also includes Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Frenchman’s medical checks expected to be completed imminently.