Crystal Palace turn to Chelsea's Axel Disasi as they dig in over Adam Wharton
Crystal Palace have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign defender Axel Disasi on a season-long loan, with the 28-year-old expected to complete his medical on Friday (The Guardian; Yahoo Sports).
Disasi arrives to fill the gap left by Maxence Lacroix, the France centre-back Palace sold to Chelsea earlier this window. It is a straight swap of sorts — one Chelsea defender out, another in on the opposite flank of the same transaction chain.
Disasi knows the Premier League well. He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham after joining from Chelsea on deadline day in February, and the move made a measurable difference: West Ham's defence tightened up after he walked through the door (The Guardian). Palace will hope for the same steadying influence.
The signing is not the only piece of defensive business Palace have been working on. They approached Bayer Leverkusen — the club now managed by Xabi Alonso — about a potential move for Josh Acheampong, but Chelsea were unwilling to let the England Under-21s international leave Stamford Bridge (The Guardian).
While Palace patch up their back line, they are firmly shutting the door on anyone trying to prise away their midfield. Manchester City made an inquiry about Adam Wharton this week and were told, in no uncertain terms, that the 22-year-old is not for sale. Wharton has three years left on his contract at Selhurst Park, and Palace would demand a sizeable fee to even consider a conversation (The Guardian).
Interest in Wharton is not new. Liverpool and Chelsea have both tracked him before, and Chelsea are said to be monitoring the situation should City make a bid for their own midfielder Enzo Fernández — a domino chain that could ripple all the way back to Selhurst Park.
Palace are also fending off interest in their attacking players. They turned down a bid of about £26m from Galatasaray for Ismaïla Sarr, last season's top scorer, and the Turkish club are expected to return with an improved offer. Fenerbahce could join the chase, which risks turning into a bidding contest between two of Istanbul's fiercest rivals (The Guardian).
Daniel Muñoz could also be on his way out. The Colombia right-back — valued at around £25m — has entered the final two years of his contract, and Everton, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham have all been linked. Palace have already signed cover in that position: Anan Khalaili, Óscar Mingueza and Zavier Gozo can all fill the right-wingback role, giving the club room to negotiate from strength rather than panic.
In midfield, Palace have expressed interest in Auxerre's Kévin Danois and Monaco's Lamine Camara as they look to add depth before the window closes (The Guardian).
For Palace fans, the picture is clear enough. The club are recruiting to replace what they have sold, refusing to cash in on their best young talent, and preparing for the possibility that bigger clubs come calling again. Whether all of that holds through deadline day is another matter entirely.
