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Chelsea's latest signing Axel Disasi has named former Blues defender David Luiz as one of the players he loved watching.
Disasi's arrival at Stamford Bridge was announced on Friday, August 4, via a statement on the club's website. The Frenchman has arrived from AS Monaco for €45 million, signing a contract till 2029.
In his first interview as a Chelsea player, Disasi spoke about his early memories of the Premier League giants. The centre-back referenced their famous UEFA Champions League final win in 2012 when they beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties.
Didier Drogba's bullet header brought them level in the 88th minute after Thomas Muller had put the Bavarians in front only five minutes earlier. Disasi told the Blues' media team:
‘‘The one that comes straight to my mind when I think about Chelsea matches is the final against Bayern, when Drogba scored that amazing header at the end. I was about 14, and it left an impression on me.’’
He added:
‘‘I enjoyed watching (Eden) Hazard, Drogba, (Frank) Lampard. I liked David Luiz a lot! He was crazy. He was so fun to watch on the pitch, and he could shoot from so far out. I like to do that sometimes too!
‘‘Also, Cesc Fabregas - I played with him for two years in Monaco, and he was amazing. Those players stand out.’’
Luiz notably had two spells with Chelsea, playing from 2011 to 2014 and then from 2016 to 2019. Known for his maverick defending, the Brazilian featured 248 times for the Blues across competitions, winning the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup (both twice).
A look at new Chelsea man Axel Disasi's career
Axel Disasi, 25, arrives at Chelsea after three seasons with AS Monaco during which he scored 12 goals in 129 appearances across competitions. He has also won four caps for France and was part of their 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
Before that, he transferred from Paris FC's academy to Stade Reims' B team, for whom he played 36 times (via Transfermarkt). Reims added the defender to their first team before the start of the 2017-18 season. He went on to play 53 times for them before moving to Monaco in 2020.
Disasi, the only fit right-sided centre-back in Mauricio Pochettino's side, is expected to give his new team more cover in central defense. Injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile meant Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and the aging Thiago Silva were Chelsea's only options before his arrival.
Both Chalobah and Sarr have been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge this summer as well. Disasi's ability to pass out from the back and occasional knack for scoring goals are bound to help a team that scored just 38 times in the Premier League last season.
