Chelsea have reached an agreement with Monaco for the signing of French defender Axel Disasi in a deal worth £38 million. The move comes after Chelsea lost Wesley Fofana to a serious knee injury. Disasi is expected to discuss personal terms before finalizing the transfer to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s co-sporting director, Laurence Stewart, who previously worked at Monaco, played a key role in the negotiations.
The 25-year-old Disasi, a former centre-back for Reims, is regarded as one of the top talents in Ligue 1. He was also part of France’s World Cup squad last year. If Disasi joins Chelsea, it could potentially lead to the departure of Trevoh Chalobah, with Inter Milan and West Ham reportedly expressing interest.
With Fofana facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines following knee surgery, Chelsea’s options in central defense include Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, and the inexperienced Bashir Humphreys. Humphreys is likely to go out on loan. Chelsea is also considering a move for Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to provide competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has struggled as Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper.
While Chelsea explored the possibility of signing André Onana and Mike Maignan, they decided against investing heavily in a new goalkeeper due to the lack of suitors for Arrizabalaga. Instead, they are looking for experienced backup for the Spaniard following Édouard Mendy’s departure to Al-Ahli. Chelsea has a number of goalkeeping options including Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergström, and Jamie Cumming.
In addition to Disasi and Sánchez, Chelsea has also been in talks with Brighton over midfielder Moisés Caicedo. Brighton has rejected multiple bids for the midfielder, with the latest offer worth £80 million. Brighton is demanding £100 million for Caicedo and has asked Chelsea to include young centre-back Colwill as part of the deal. Chelsea may explore alternatives if a deal cannot be reached.
Chelsea is also targeting a striker to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson and is looking to strengthen their attacking midfield options with players like Mohammed Kudus, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, and Gabri Veiga on their radar.
