30 July 2023 , 23:48
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Chelsea have agreed a deal with Monaco to sign French centre-back Axel Disasi for €45m (£39m), with Mauricio Pochettino keen to bolster his defensive options.
The likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ethan Ampadu have all left Stamford Bridge this summer and injury problems have left Chelsea needing reinforcements. Wesley Fofana has undergone surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season and will miss several months of action.
Fellow centre-back Benoit Badiashile is also recovering from a hamstring injury and is not expected to return until the new Premier League campaign is underway. As a result, Pochettino admitted after Chelsea's win over Fulham on Sunday that they needed to dip into the transfer market.
"With Fofana's injury, I think it is obvious that maybe we need to reinforce this area, it is clear," he told reporters. And the Athletic are now reporting they have 'reached an agreement in principle with Monaco' over Disasi.
The 25-year-old has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle, but now looks set to become Chelsea's latest summer signing. Forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have been signed from Villarreal and RB Leipzig respectively, while teenage prospects Angelo Gabriel and Diego Moreira have also joined.
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Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is also closing in on a move to Chelsea, with both personal terms and a €27.5m (£23.5m) fee agreed. The teenager has previously admitted that "my dream is to play in the Premier League", but it seems Chelsea plan to send him out on loan this season.
When asked about Ugochukwu, Pochettino said: "I think you're still talking about if we need experience in midfield. I have the information you have. My information is a player that is from France that maybe they sign with the idea to send on loan. The information was already in your laptop!"
Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is also close to joining Chelsea (Philippe Le Brech/Icon Sport via Getty Images)Pochettino has also admitted Chelsea may look to sign another forward, despite the additions of Jackson and Nkunku. "Today I think we are happy with the performance and they can complement each other really well," Pochettino added.
"Yes, of course, maybe we can add some different profile or different player who can help us, of course we are open. I am so happy with both and we have younger [talent] like Mason [Burstow] today and [Armando] Broja in the UK recovering from his procedure.
"We need to analyse now in the next weeks until the transfer window closes. We will take the best decision for the team."