Chelsea, AS Monaco reach €45m ‘agreement in principle’ for Axel Disasi — report

Chelsea have swept in from seemingly out of nowhere to agree a deal “in principle” to sign AS Monaco center back Axel Disasi, according to an exclusive from The Athletic’s David Ornstein. The deal is “worth in the region” of €45m.

The 25-year-old had been linked with Manchester United and Newcastle United for much of the summer, but it looks like his future will Blue — provided that we finalize this deal as well as the personal terms to complete the gazumping.

Chelsea were apparently motivated to make this deal by Wesley Fofana’s ACL injury (and not by wanting to jettison Trevoh Chalobah or Levi Colwill). Fofana is likely out for the whole season, or at least most of it.

Incidentally, Disasi will thus reunite with his former Monaco teammate Benoît Badiashile, with whom he had formed a productive partnership for a couple years before the younger defender made the switch to Chelsea last January.

Disasi’s arrival would give us six fit center backs on the team, or five if Bashir Humphreys goes out on loan (Badiashile, Disasi, Chalobah, Colwill, Thiago Silva). That’s probably a good group.