Chelsea reach £40 million deal to sign Monaco defender Axel Disasi amid competition from Manchester United and Newcastle
- Monaco center back Axel Disasi did not miss a league game last season
- Newcastle and Manchester United have both expressed interest in the defender
- Chelsea have now agreed a deal worth around £40 million for the 25-year-old
Chelsea have agreed a deal with Monaco to sign central defender Axel Disasi for around £40 million.
Mail Sport first revealed last week that The Blues loved the central defender and have since staved off rival interest from Manchester United and Newcastle.
Mauricio Pochettino is keen to bring in Disasi as a replacement for first-choice centre-back Wesley Fofana, who is expected to be out for some time with an ACL injury.
Disasi did not miss a league game for Monaco last season and has been a fixture in the French top flight since he was promoted with Reims in 2018.
The defender moved to the Stade Louis-II for £12 million in 2020 and has established himself as a key figure in Adi Hutter’s side, with the manager appointing him vice-captain last season.
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Monaco to sign Axel Disasi for £40 million
Mauricio Pochettino keen to add more depth to the back after Wesley Fofana’s ACL injury
He has also started breaking into France and was part of the squad that reached the World Cup final in Qatar last year.
If Disasi goes to The Blues, he would be the second Monaco defender to make the move in as many transfer windows after Benoit Badiashile joined in January.
Adi Hutter’s side should be well equipped to cope without Disasi, having agreed a £17 million deal with Southampton to sign defender Mohammed Salisu.
Southampton, bracing for new offers from Liverpool and West Ham for Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse respectively, saw Salisu’s proposed £15 million move to Fulham collapse last week.
However, Monaco have rekindled the interest they showed earlier this month in signing the 24-year-old, pending a medical check this week.
Monaco have also held talks with Fulham over Tosin Adarabioyo in preparation for Disasi’s likely departure.
Salisu, who had one year left on his contract, was not included in Southampton’s squad for their friendlies against AZ Alkmaar on Saturday or Bournemouth on Tuesday.
He made his last appearance for Southampton in March and was sidelined towards the end of the season due to problems with his dedication and application in recovering from injury.
Monaco has already prepared for Disasi’s departure by signing a deal for Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu