Crystal Palace Close in on Axel Disasi Loan Deal

Crystal Palace are closing in on a move for Axel Disasi, with the Chelsea defender set to undergo a medical on Friday ahead of a season-long loan.

The 26-year-old, part of the so-called Stamford Bridge “bomb squad”, rebuilt his reputation at West Ham in the second half of last season. Even as the Hammers slid towards relegation, Disasi’s form stood out and quickly drew a queue of admirers once the window opened.

Back in January, he had knocked back several escape routes from Chelsea before finally choosing West Ham. That decision paid off. His performances were strong enough that West Ham went back in this summer, exploring a permanent deal.

They look to have lost that race.

Palace, preparing for their first campaign under new head coach Pierre Sage, are now poised to win the battle for his signature on loan, edging out their London rivals at a crucial moment in their rebuild.

The need at Selhurst Park is obvious. Earlier in the summer, Palace sold central defender Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea in a £52million deal, cashing in but leaving a sizeable gap at the heart of their defence. Disasi, with his Premier League experience and physical profile, has been identified as the man to help plug it.

Coach's Comments

Sage did little to hide his desire for exactly this type of signing when he faced questions on Thursday about late-window business at centre-back.

“Yes. We need a player in this department, a player with a lot of games, if possible, in the Premier League,” he said, underlining both the urgency and the profile required. “We need players, but we need a leader and that's why we need to wait a little bit to find a good one.”

Pressed directly on whether that “good one” might be Disasi, Sage kept his cards close to his chest, offering only: “He's a player from Chelsea.”

If Palace get this over the line, that description will not apply for much longer.