Axel Disasi: Chelsea, Aston Villa & Tottenham locked in transfer stand-off | OneFootball

Chelsea defender Axel Disasi has reportedly found himself at the epicentre of a transfer stand-off between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Disasi joined Chelsea in 2023 for a deal worth £38.8m at the time and was a fixture of the first team under Mauricio Pochettino. Enzo Maresca has had far less faith in the Frenchman since taking over in the summer. Disasi has started just four Premier League games this term, instead captaining the club's de-facto B team in the Europa Conference League.

The 26-year-old seemed to have accepted his fate and agreed a loan move to Aston Villa earlier this month. However, Chelsea have "no intention" of lending one of their defenders to a direct rival for Champions League qualification according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues have instead negotiated a loan deal with Tottenham on the Frenchman's behalf, only for Disasi to supposedly refuse the move. Intent on securing a transfer his club won't sanction, the former Monaco man is left in limbo ahead of Monday's deadline.

Tottenham are desperately short of fit defenders - Micky van de Ven missed out on Sunday's victory away to Brentford once again - but did complete a loan deal for Lens centre-back Kevin Danso this weekend.

Postecoglou admitted that Spurs remained in the market for new recruits. "I think the club is still looking there for opportunities," he told reporters at the Gtech Community Stadium. "I've said all along they've been working hard and we don't want to bring just anyone in, and sometimes that takes a bit longer, which is frustrating for everybody."

However, when asked specifically about Disasi following his side's 2-0 win over Brentford, Postecoglou snapped: "I've been busy for the last couple of hours mate, so I'm not really sure what's going on. I'll check my phone when I get back in the room."