Crystal Palace have signed French defender, Axel Disasi on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
Disasi on his third loan spell away from Chelsea after he fell out of favour under Enzo Maresca in the second half of the 2024-25 season, which led to his first loan move as he made 10 appearances for Aston Villa.
He then found himself frozen out of the senior squad last season until he moved to West Ham on loan in February and scored one goal in 17 appearances, as the Hammers suffered relegation after a 14-year spell back in the Premier League.
Disasi’s sole goal for West Ham came as a 96th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Leeds in a dramatic FA Cup Quarter-Final tie, which the Hammers eventually lost on penalties to miss out on a semi-final tie against the 28-year-old’s parent club.
Disasi though had been unable to force himself into new Head Coach, Xabi Alonso’s plans following his return to Chelsea, and has now accepted a season-long loan at Palace where he hopes he can help the club continue their impressive direction into a top team.
“I’m very happy. The club has been going in a very good direction, so I think it was the right place for me to keep going.
“I know that it’s very tough to play against Palace at Selhurst Park – so I’m looking forward to being on the other side now!”
Palace chairman, Steve Parish added: “We are pleased welcome a defender of Axel’s experience and calibre to Palace for the season.”
Disasi began his career at Villiers-le-Bel JS then USM Senlis before he joined Paris FC where he broke into their first team in the 2015-16 season, during which he scored one goal in four appearances which led Rennes to sign him the following summer.
He went on to score twice in 53 appearances for Rennes across four seasons and helped them gain promotion as Ligue 2 champions in 2017-18 season, before he joined Monaco in summer 2020 where he impressed with 12 goals in 129 appearances.
His performances consequently led Chelsea to sign him in July 2023 and he went on to net three goals in 44 appearances in his first season at the club, before he endured a tough 2024-25 season in which he scored twice in 17 appearances prior his loan switch to Villa.
At international level, Disasi represents France and earned five senior caps between 2022-23 plus was part of the squad which finished runners-up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.