Chelsea FC Confirms £38m Signing of Defender Axel Disasi from Monaco
Chelsea FC has officially announced the signing of defender Axel Disasi from Monaco in a £38 million deal. Disasi becomes the club’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, joining a busy recruitment period for the Blues.
The acquisition of Disasi comes as a response to a major setback for Chelsea, as Wesley Fofana suffered an ACL injury that is likely to keep him out for most of the upcoming season. However, the club wasted no time in securing a replacement.
Chelsea identified Disasi as the ideal signing to strengthen their right-sided center-back options. The 25-year-old Frenchman traveled to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract with the club. Disasi has made 118 appearances for Monaco since joining the Ligue 1 side three years ago, often captaining the team. He also has four caps for the French national team.
Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, expressed their excitement about Disasi’s arrival. They stated that Disasi has showcased his quality over several seasons in France and has deservedly earned recognition on the international stage. They believe he is ready to take the next step in his career and are delighted that he will be doing so with Chelsea.
Disasi’s move to Chelsea was facilitated by the good relationship between the two clubs, as well as technical director Laurence Stewart’s previous work with Monaco. The negotiations were relatively straightforward, and this marks another successful transfer between the two sides following Benoit Badiashile’s move to Stamford Bridge in the January window.
Disasi’s arrival will see him reunited with his former defensive partner Badiashile, although the latter is currently recovering from a hamstring injury and will not be fit for the start of the season. This further emphasizes Chelsea’s need to bolster their defensive options.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s manager, had initially played coy about Disasi’s impending arrival when reports first emerged about the deal. However, he later acknowledged the need to reinforce the defense, especially in light of Fofana’s injury.
Several clubs had shown interest in Disasi during the summer transfer window, including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal. However, Arsenal ended their pursuit after signing Jurrien Timber from Ajax. Chelsea’s swift action secured the French defender’s services.
In addition to Disasi, Chelsea has also secured a deal for Rennes midfielder Ugochukwu. However, Ugochukwu will not immediately join the squad and will instead be loaned to newly acquired sister club Strasbourg.
Pochettino is still keen on bringing in a new defensive midfielder and a more orthodox center-forward to complement the attacking signings of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. The club’s top target for the defensive midfield position is Moises Caicedo, but Brighton’s £100 million valuation is proving to be a stumbling block.
Chelsea continues to make moves in the transfer market, with negotiations underway for a contract extension with Levi Colwill amid interest from Brighton. The club is also in talks with Juventus over a potential player swap deal to offload Romelu Lukaku.
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