Axel Disasi is set to join Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea, with the Eagles covering his wages. However, Blues fans have expressed their disappointment that he is not leaving the club permanently.
A Chelsea supporter wrote on Reddit, "Why isn’t this an outright sale. Palace have the cash and need the player and we want him gone. Very strange." Another added, "I guess at least his salary is covered, but it honestly feels like Disasi is just gonna run down this contract eventually."
Chelsea will be waiting a while for Disasi's contract to expire as he is contracted to the Blues until 2029. The club has a bloated squad, so it is no surprise that supporters want to see players depart permanently.
The Blues already have 14 players out on loan this season. This includes young players such as Kendry Páez, who could still have a future at Chelsea. Players such as Filip Jörgensen and Genesis Antwi have been sent to sister club Strasbourg. Alejandro Garnacho, whom Chelsea want to get rid of, has been loaned to Aston Villa. Unai Emery's side does have an obligation to buy Garnacho.
This will be Disasi's third loan spell away from Chelsea, as he has already been sent to Villa and West Ham United. His time at Villa was a disaster, as he made just 10 appearances in total. He did not feature in any of Villa's final four Premier League games of the season.
When he returned to Chelsea, Disasi was frozen out with the likes of Raheem Sterling. Both posted on Social Media about how poorly they were treated by the club when they were given limited space and made to train late.
Axel Disasi impressed at West Ham last season
Disasi then went to West Ham, where he impressed during the second half of last season. He made 17 appearances in total and scored in the FA Cup against Leeds United. The Frenchman established a great partnership with fellow centre-back, Dinos Mavropanos. However, they were unable to prevent the Hammers from being relegated.
West Ham wanted to keep Disasi, but he was not keen on playing in the Championship. He was also linked with AC Milan, AS Roma, and Benfica this summer. However, holding out and getting a move to Palace is good for the player.
Palace finished 15th in the Premier League last season, but they did win the Europa Conference League. This qualified them for the Europa League. Despite the success in Europe, manager Oliver Glasner departed for Nottingham Forest. He had grown disillusioned with the Eagles continuing to sell their top player. This included the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise.
The Eagles' new manager is Pierre Sage, who is formerly of RC Lens and Olympique Lyonnais. Therefore, he will know all about Disasi, as he is a former French international who played in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco.
The South London club has needed a new centre-back since they sold Marc Guehi to Manchester City in January. Maxence Lacroix has also joined Chelsea from Palace this summer. Disasi could have been used as part of that transfer.
As they are competing in Europa again this season, Palace will need a big squad. Therefore, Disasi will likely have to play a key role. Sage likes to play a 3-4-2-1 formation, so Disasi is a good option for the manager. Palace already has Chris Richards, Jaydee Canvot and Chad Riot as centre-back options. Also, former Arsenal player Takehiro Tomiyasu has joined the club this summer.
Chelsea fans may be disappointed that Disasi is not leaving the club permanently. However, if he has another good season, then it will only increase the 28-year-old's value.
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