Chelsea Outcast Eyes Escape Route as January Transfer Talks Heat Up
Overlooked Chelsea defender Axel Disasi is said to be in talks regarding a potential move back to France, with Lyon showing interest in acquiring his signature during the January transfer period.
The 27-year-old was loaned to Aston Villa for the latter portion of the previous campaign after being sidelined by Enzo Maresca, and many anticipated he would leave Stamford Bridge permanently during the summer window.
Nevertheless, a departure never came to fruition, leaving Disasi stuck at Chelsea. Along with fellow outcast Raheem Sterling, the French defender was banished and compelled to practice with the club's Under-21 squad—though he has since been brought back into the senior setup and occasionally appears in competitive youth matches.
Despite this reprieve, it remains highly probable that Disasi will not feature for the Blues again, and a January departure will be pursued, with Lyon potentially offering the ex-Monaco player a way out.
Disasi Considers French Move With Lyon
According to L'Équipe, the Ligue 1 club is keen to acquire a new central defender during the winter window to assist manager Paulo Fonseca in coping with the unavailability of his regular defensive pairing, Clinton Mata and Moussa Niakhaté, who will both participate in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Lyon, who are already planning to bring in Endrick on loan from Real Madrid for the attacking end this January, have maintained "contact for several days" with Disasi, understanding that he could depart either temporarily or permanently this winter.
Nevertheless, there are no assurances that Lyon will pursue Disasi given their preference for signing a defender who can immediately slot into the first team. With the Chelsea player having no senior appearances this season, he might require time to restore his competitive fitness.
Whether Sterling can also secure a winter departure alongside Disasi is uncertain, but Chelsea will be eager to remove both players from their payroll quickly. They earn slightly more than £400,000 ($533,000) per week combined—though £325,000 of that figure represents Sterling's salary.