English football club, Chelsea have agreed a £38.6 million deal to sign defender Axel Disasi from French club, AS Monaco.
Disasi who recently entered the final two years of his contract, had been linked with Manchester United and Newcastle in this transfer window.
The versatile centre-back who is also comfortable at right-back, is now set to undergo a medical ahead of his proposed switch to Stamford Bridge.
25-year-old Axel Disasi will give Chelsea another right-sided centre-back option following the injury Wesley Fofana suffered. Fofana has been ruled out for several months after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
The transfer has seemingly come out of the blue as the Chelsea hierarchy continue to turn the screw in their pursuit of new recruits ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Disasi has already reportedly agreed personal terms with Chelsea meaning the move is now likely to be completed in the coming days.
The 25-year-old has won four caps for France and was part of the Les Bleus squad that reached the World Cup final in Qatar.
He also donned the armband for Monaco last season and has developed a fine reputation as one of the best defenders in Ligue 1 in the past few seasons.
Disasi moved to Monaco in 2020 in a £10m deal from Reims and since then he has become indispensable at Stade Louis II where he has scored seven times in 99 appearances.
The Frenchman will become Chelsea’s fifth summer signing, after Christopher Nkunku (£52 million), Nicolas Jackson (£32 million), Brazilian winger Angelo (£13 million), and Portuguese teenager Diego Moreira (free).
Moises Caicedo remains Chelsea’s top summer target but they are yet to meet Brighton’s valuation of the player, which is believed to be around £100 million. Chelsea’s latest offer, worth £80 million, was immediately rejected by Brighton last week.
Romeo Lavia is another midfielder that Chelsea have shown interest in, although they will have to outmuscle Liverpool in the race for the Southampton teenager. Southampton are understood to value the Belgium international at around £50 million.
