Crystal Palace Targets Chelsea Defender Axel Disasi on Loan

Crystal Palace are pushing towards a loan deal for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi, with Sky Sports News and talkSPORT reporting that negotiations are at an advanced stage.

The 28-year-old has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge since January 2025 and was sent to train with the club’s so‑called “bomb squad” before spending the second half of last season on loan at West Ham United. Now, with his Chelsea future effectively shut down, Palace are moving to give him a way back into the Premier League spotlight.

The timing is no coincidence. Palace have a sizeable gap to plug at the heart of their defence after Maxence Lacroix’s £52m move to Chelsea, and new manager Sage has made it clear he wants experience and authority at the back, not just another body.

Manager's Comments

At his Thursday press conference, Sage did not hide the scale of the need.

“Yes. We need a player in this department, a player with a lot of games, if possible, in the Premier League,” he said. “We need players, but we need a leader and that's why we need to wait a little bit to find a good one.”

That word — leader — is driving Palace’s search. Disasi, capped by France and hardened by spells in England and Ligue 1, fits the profile of a defender who can marshal a back line as well as compete physically.

Sage, though, stayed on the right side of protocol when pressed directly on Disasi and the reports of a loan agreement edging closer.

“He's a player from Chelsea, it's difficult for me to speak about a player of another club, but I hear the same noise as you,” he admitted.

Palace’s recruitment team now have to turn that “noise” into a done deal. With Lacroix already in blue at Stamford Bridge and the season fast approaching, the club cannot afford to wait too long for their new defensive leader to walk through the door.