'Up to the player' - Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur now in two-horse race for £38.5m Premier League star

Chelsea defender Axel Disasi will decide soon whether to join Aston Villa or Tottenham Hotspur on loan.

Villa agreed personal terms with Disasi on Monday but the centre-back has been weighing up his options. Fabrizio Romano reports Tottenham have made an official proposal are insisting on Disasi as their new centre-half for the rest of the season.

The decision is now fully up to the player as Chelsea have given the green light for a loan move to go ahead. Signed from AS Monaco for £38.5 million in August 2023, Disasi has made 61 appearances so far across all competitions for the Blues, scoring five goals and assisting two more.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were also interested in signing Disasi at the start of the week but the player made it clear he wanted Villa. The recent emergence of Tottenham has opened the race wide open again, however, with the move to Villa still not finalised.

How would Axel Disasi fit in at Aston Villa?

Disasi’s arrival would come as a welcome boost to Villa’s defensive depth following Carlos’ sale and the injuries suffered by both Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings. Pau is out for another five or six weeks with a broken metatarsal while Mings hobbled off during the 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday.

Pace isn’t Disasi’s strong point but the Frenchman is mightily strong and - at 6ft 3in - dominates in the air. His presence from set pieces should be a great aid, especially in Mings’ absence. One downside of Disasi’s game, however, is the fact he’s very right-footed and Villa ideally need a left-sided centre-half.

Disasi joined Chelsea from AS Monaco for a reported £38.5 million fee in 2021 but his minutes have restricted since the arrival of Enzo Maresca, who has given the 26-year-old just four Premier League starts so far.

Villa consider Disasi alternative

In case the Villans can’t complete a swoop for Disasi, an alternative option has been lined up. A loan offer has already been submitted for RC Lens defender Kevin Danso but there’s hot competition from Serie A giants Juventus and Ligue 1 side Rennes.

Lens hold the cards as they would prefer not to let Danso leave for a direct rival - Rennes - but are also keen to capitalise the financial gains of any deal. It awaits to be seen just how much Villa’s offer was worth but it’s suspected it was a loan proposal rather than permanent.

Fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United, West Ham United and Everton have all been linked with Danso in the past 12 months. Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Atalanta, Napoli, Stuttgart, Galatasararay and Fenerbahce have all shown interest, too.

Wolves are well in the fight, too, as Birmingham World understands the Old Gold have already seen two bids rejected for Danso, one totalling £16 million and the other worth around £18.5 million. A fair whack more needs to be coughed up if Wanderers are to acquire their top target.

Predominantly a centre-back but also capable of filling in at right-back or defensive midfield if required, Danso stands at 6ft 2in. The 26-year-old isn’t the most agile but he’s rapid once he gets up to speed and he’s very strong in the air. Danso also loves a crunching tackle.