Tottenham have reached a full agreement with Chelsea to sign Axel Disasi on loan but the centre-back has put the breaks on the move in a dramatic twist.
Spurs officially unveiled defender Kevin Danso as their latest acquisition earlier today (Sunday) but Ange Postecoglou is still keen to bring in more cover at the back.
Disasi, 26, is one of several Chelsea players to have been made available and Tottenham and Aston Villa have both shown interest in signing him on loan.
Disasi agreed personal terms with Aston Villa earlier this week but Chelsea refused to let him join the Midlands side as they didn’t want to strengthen a direct rival for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea are more open to doing business with Tottenham, however, as they have had a dismal season so far and currently sit 14th in the Premier League table.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Disasi on a straight loan, but the player has said NO to joining the north London club.
“Tottenham have agreed loan deal with Chelsea for Axel Disasi, no buy option clause and loan fee included,” Romano posted on X. “Axel Disasi, not accepting Spurs bid… as he already agreed terms with Aston Villa. Chelsea have NO intention to negotiate with Villa as UCL spot competitors.”
Tottenham have been rejected by BOTH Disasi and Tomori
Disasi now faces a situation where he could be left in limbo as it’s clear that he isn’t part of Maresca’s long term plans at Chelsea.
The 26-year-old has made just six Premier League appearances this season and finds himself behind the likes of Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo in the pecking order.
Chelsea have been demanding a big loan fee for Disasi, which Tottenham seemingly agreed to, so Disasi snubbing the move comes as a blow for the Blues too.
It will be an interesting deadline day for the Frenchman as it’s clear that Chelsea are still intent on offloading him. Tottenham, for their part, will have to look elsewhere for another new defender.
Spurs have also shown interest in signing AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori this month but ironically, the England international also rejected the chance to join Postecoglou’s team, per reports from Italy.
This came after Tottenham agreed a €25million (£21m / $26m) deal with Milan plus bonuses.
The reason for Tomori rejecting Spurs isn’t clear, but it’s fair to say that the fact they’re set to miss out on Champions League qualification is likely a factor.
Tottenham have just hours remaining in the window to sign another new centre-back and also strengthen other areas, with Postecoglou keen to sign a new striker.
FULL BREAKDOWN: All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the January 2025 transfer window