Aston Villa tipped to snatch £39m defender from PL rivals in January as Unai Emery eyes top-four finish

Aston Villa delved into the market in the summer to bring in the likes of Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Evann Guessand, among others, to freshen up their squad. They will get the chance to acquire more players in the January transfer window. The Midlands outfit will also have the opportunity to let some individuals head out the exit door as well if needed to free up space and funds.

Unai Emery’s side are sat in 6th position in the Premier League table after their first 11 fixtures. They are only a point off the top four after their recent 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth at Villa Park after goals by Emi Buendia, Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen. Next up is an away trip to Leeds United after the international break.

Aston Villa eye reunion with Chelsea’s Axel Disasi

According to Ekrem Konur on X, Aston Villa are interested in re-signing Chelsea defender Axel Disasi. AS Monaco and Napoli have also been linked with the centre-back. He remains under contract until June 2029 at Stamford Bridge but he has fallen out of favour there over recent times.

Disasi, 27, spent the second-half of last season on loan with Villa. He linked up with them last January to boost their defensive department. The France international, who has five caps for his country to his name, went on to make 10 appearances under Emery, seven of which came in the league.

The Gonesse-born man started his career at Paris FC and broke into their first-team as a youngster. Stade de Reims came calling in 2016 and he went on to make 53 outings altogether before landing a switch to Monaco in 2020. Chelsea then forked out a hefty £39 million to lure him over to England in 2023.

However, his time in London hasn’t quite gone to plan. He doesn’t appear to be in Enzo Maresca’s long-term plans, hence why he was loaned out to Aston Villa just over 12 months ago. The Frenchman’s future is up in the air and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave again soon.

Should Aston Villa bring back Axel Disasi from Chelsea?

Aston Villa could see Disasi as someone to add more competition and depth to their options at the back. He would provide additional cover with Tyrone Mings out injured. Pau Torres has been getting a lot of game time recently and a new arrival would ease the load off his back.

Disasi knows the club already, the players and how the manager likes to operate so it wouldn’t take him too long to settle in. In addition, he may feel he has a point to prove in England still with his transfer to Chelsea not going to plan. He needs minutes at this stage and a change of scene somewhere would do him good.

A move back home to France may be something that turns his head though. He was a hit during his days at Monaco and they appear to be keen on getting him back. Napoli have also been mentioned as a suitor and could offer him the chance to test life in Italy.