Before his move to Chelsea in 2023, Axel Disasi spent time at AS Monaco, Reims and Paris FC.
Today, Axel Disasi is a France international worth almost £40m, with Chelsea paying roughly that to sign the defender from Monaco.
However, it was not an easy journey to the top for Disasi, who has been speaking about his career in football.
Disasi is yet to play a game in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca this season, but he was a key player for Chelsea last term. In total, the 26-year-old made 44 appearances.
Reims disappointed Axel Disasi
Disasi will be grateful to Reims, who gave him his first taste of Ligue 1 football. However, the centre-back was not always happy with the French club.
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Disasi revealed that Reims did not initially want to hand him a professional contract, which left the Frenchman feeling “angry and disappointed” at the time.
“They didn’t want to sign me as a professional, so they gave me one year as a semi-professional,” Disasi said. “At the end of that year, they said they wouldn’t give me a professional contract, so I was very angry and disappointed.
“It was that summer I went to Congo with my family. When I came back, I was changed. I did the pre-season, I played the first game, I scored, and then I signed my contract maybe two or three weeks after. A week after I signed my contract, I got my first call-up to the national team, under-20s. It all happened so fast!”
In the end, things worked out well for both parties, with Disasi becoming a useful player for Reims before earning a move to Monaco. He made just over 30 appearances in his final campaign at Reims.
Disasi is, of course, now at Chelsea, but he may not be for much longer. Chelsea are keen on Marc Guehi, and signing another central defender like the Crystal Palace star could push him out of the club as he looks for more game time.
Chelsea could sell Axel Disasi in 2025
Amid reported interest in Guehi, Disasi could be moved on next year. He is already behind Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana in the pecking order at Chelsea and did not look untouchable during the summer transfer window.
Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea weren’t against the idea of selling Disasi. While he was an important player for Mauricio Pochettino, that does not appear to be the case for Maresca.
With Reece James and Malo Gusto both picking up injury problems this season, though, he could get some game time in the right-back position.
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