Journalist David Ornstein has revealed that Chelsea are inching closer to signing Axel Disasi from AS Monaco as a replacement for the injured Wesley Fofana. The news will come as a blow to Manchester United fans who had previously been linked with the French international.
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Chelsea Poised to Sign £38 Million Fofana Replacement
Fofana Injury Forces Chelsea’s Hand
Mauricio Pochettino had not even been in the job for a month at Stamford Bridge before Fofana suffered an ACL injury – ruling the Frenchman out for a large part of the season.
The Argentine coach was already planning an overhaul of the Blues squad this summer after the London club’s poor showing last season, but the injury to Fofana means the former Paris Saint-Germain manager has been forced to find a replacement for his crocked centre-back.
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The 22-year-old has not had the best of times with regards to injuries during his career so far. Two years ago, whilst playing for Leicester, he broke his leg during pre-season, and after his £75 million move to the Bridge, he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for 15 Premier League games.
Chelsea are therefore left with just Thiago Silva, Trevor Chalobah, Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile as their senior centre-backs, but with reports linking Colwill with a move away from West London, and Badiashile still recovering from a hamstring injury, Pochettino has seen fit to bring in a fresh face.
Blues Reach ‘Agreement in Principle’ With Monaco for Disasi
Ornstein reports that a deal worth £38 million has been agreed “in principle” between the two clubs for the French international. The 25-year-old is considered to be an ideal replacement for his compatriot, Fofana, as both the players are right-sided centre-backs.
Disasi has been hailed as “one of the best” defenders in the world according to one fan on Twitter and the deal will be a massive blow to Manchester United, who were interested in bringing him to Old Trafford.
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Erik ten Hag was said to have “approved” of the 25-year-old and that discussions between the Old Trafford club and the player’s representatives had been taking place for “weeks”.
However, Monaco had not received any bids from the Red Devils and it would seem that Chelsea have now jumped to the front of the queue – quite possibly due to United’s pursuits of Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat.
Featured image: Tom, Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0
