Chelsea have agreed a verbal deal to loan Axel Disasi to Crystal Palace, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, after failing to secure a permanent sale for the defender. The France international is expected to undergo a medical on Friday, the day before Palace begin their Premier League season with a trip to Everton.
Disasi's Chelsea career stalls after £38m move
Disasi joined Chelsea from Monaco in 2023 for a fee exceeding £38 million. He was a regular under manager Mauricio Pochettino, but after Enzo Maresca took charge, the 28-year-old was placed in the club's 'bomb squad' and has not played for Chelsea in over 18 months. During that period, he has had loan spells at Aston Villa and West Ham, and this move to Palace would be his third temporary switch.
The Eagles are set to cover Disasi's salary and pay a loan fee reported to be around £5 million. The deal does not include an obligation or option to buy, according to Romano.
Palace seeking defensive reinforcement
Crystal Palace have been in the market for a centre-back after selling Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea for £52 million. Negotiations for Disasi began shortly after that transfer was completed. New Palace manager Pierre Sage acknowledged the need for defensive cover but declined to comment directly on Disasi.
"Yes, we need a player in this department," Sage said in his pre-Everton press conference. "We need a player with a lot of games, if possible in Premier League because we need players but we need a leader. That's why we need to wait a little bit to find a good one."
He added: "He [Disasi] is a player from Chelsea, it's difficult for me to speak about a player of another club, but I hear the same noise as you."
Palace rule out further exits
Sage also stated that no other key player will leave Selhurst Park before the transfer deadline. This includes England midfielder Adam Wharton, who is valued at £100 million and has attracted an enquiry from Manchester City. "Now it's not the moment to do that [sell him]," Sage said. "He is able to play at a big club here or everywhere in Europe but one year with us, one year with a new dynamic will be good for him. We need him, that's why I think he will stay with us."
While Chelsea have managed to offload a player not in Maresca's plans, the loan deal falls short of the club's earlier hopes of selling Disasi for £25 million this summer. The agreement with Palace brings an end to weeks of speculation over the defender's future.
