Chelsea defender Axel Disasi has agreed to join Aston Villa on loan, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Disasi joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023 from AS Monaco, but has since struggled to replicate the form that convinced the Blues to part ways with £38.5 million for him.
Despite making 61 appearances and scoring five goals for the Blues, his time at the club has been marred by inconsistency and costly mistakes – none more infamous than his own goal against Leicester City last season, where he astonishingly scored from nearly 40 yards out.
Despite his underwhelming stint in West London, Disasi has still managed to draw interest from several clubs across the Premier League and Europe, including Serie A giants Napoli.
However, Romano claims that Aston Villa has won the race for the French defender's signature, with Disasi reportedly having "agreed on personal terms" with Unai Emery's side.
"Disasi wants to join Villa despite interest from more clubs around Europe after direct talk with Unai Emery, crucial to get the green light," wrote Romano in a post on X on Monday. "Deal now up to Chelsea and Villa to reach full agreement."
In a second post, Romano revealed that "the negotiation between Aston Villa and Chelsea for Axel Disasi is for loan move (with loan fee) plus salary coverage."
"Disasi said yes to Aston Villa and he’s not considering other options despite Italian and PL clubs linked," he wrote. "He wants Villa."
Disasi could potentially be Aston Villa’s third signing of the January transfer window, following the arrivals of Levante defender Andres Garcia and Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen.
Disasi shouldn't go just yet
Everything Chelsea says...
Disasi hasn't exactly set the world alight since his move to Chelsea, but he has delivered the odd solid performance.
The standout came last season against Manchester City, where he put in a defensive masterclass that left Jamie Carragher praising his display as "brilliant." The Liverpool legend even went so far as to compare him to Chelsea icon John Terry.
Disasi has been more Paul Terry than John since, but with Chelsea still dealing with injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, letting go of a player who has shown he can step up when needed would be a risky decision.
Even with the return of Trevoh Chalobah, the Blues are thin at the back and could be wise to retain Disasi for depth.
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