Leeds United Eye £80k-A-Week Chelsea Ace To Replace Outbound Star
Transfer news: Leeds United and Chelsea look ready to strike a deal this summer, with the Elland Road hierarchy firmly targeting Axel Disasi for the 2026–27 campaign. According to Football Insider, Leeds feel confident of agreeing a deal for the 28-year-old Frenchman, provided West Ham are relegated, a scenario that seems more likely by the day as the Hammers sit 18th with only three games to go. West Ham don’t have a formal obligation to keep Disasi permanently, and dropping to the Championship would effectively kill any hope of him staying at the London Stadium.
Transfer news: Leeds United eye Axel Disasi as Chelsea prepare to sell this summer
Leeds originally looked at Disasi in January but missed out when West Ham moved more decisively to secure the loan. Since then, Daniel Farke’s recruitment staff have kept a close eye on him. Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke confirmed on the Football Insider podcast that Disasi is back at the top of Leeds’ wishlist.
The club want to bolster their central defence after switching to a back three, a tactical shift that played a massive role in keeping them in the Premier League. With Sebastiaan Bornauw likely heading back to Germany this summer, landing Disasi has become a priority.
Chelsea originally shelled out £38.9 million to bring Disasi in from Monaco in 2023, yet the defender never saw the pitch under Enzo Maresca before his January move to East London. Since joining West Ham, he has been a mainstay, starting 11 straight Premier League games and helping secure five clean sheets.
Statistically, he’s putting up 3.85 clearances and 0.92 blocks per 90 minutes. While his aerial game is strong, a tackle rate of 1.09 per 90 suggests he can sometimes be slow to react in transition. That said, the fact that he hasn’t been dribbled past once this season is a truly elite stat.
Transfer news: Does Disasi actually fix what Leeds need, or does he create a new problem in the backline?
Leeds United definitely need a dependable third centre-back for next season, but if Disasi expects to be more than a rotation player, it could disrupt a defensive unit that has finally clicked. For Chelsea, cashing in is a no-brainer. He’s on £80,000 a week and clearly has no future at Stamford Bridge, no matter who is in the dugout next year.
Transfer news: Leeds would be getting a proven Premier League defender, likely at a cut-price given Chelsea’s desperate need to balance the books. The real sticking point will be the price tag and his role in the squad; if Farke can’t promise him regular minutes or if Chelsea demand more than £20 million, the move starts to make a lot less sense. Ultimately, a permanent move suits everyone. It just depends on whether Leeds can find a number that satisfies a Chelsea side still feeling the squeeze from years of heavy spending.
Rohit Sarkar
