Newcastle 'make move' for £38m Chelsea star as Paul Mitchell look to sign French international for second time

Newcastle United have made an ‘official enquiry’ for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi after he was left out of the Blues squad for Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge against defending champions Manchester City, according to reports.

The five-time France international had only joined the Blues last summer in a deal worth £38m, but now faces an uncertain future in West London following yet another summer of wholesale changes at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle are desperate to sign a defender this summer following long-term injuries to star defender Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles who are both expected to miss most of the first half of the season with serious injuries.

The Magpies missed out on Tosin Adarabioyo earlier in the summer and have been locked in negotiations with Crystal Palace over Marc Guehi for the entirety of August in a transfer saga that could well drag on until the final day of the window. Guehi after his impressive performances for England at Euro 2024, is understood to be a priority target. He is Premier League proven, a leader in the dressing room and someone who at 24, should still have his best years ahead of him.

However, after three failed bids, and recent reports of Crystal Palace selling Joachim Andersen to Fulham, it looks to be an increasingly difficult deal to get over the line.

The recent suspension of Fabian Schar on the opening day has only compounded the Magpies need for further reinforcements and Sky Sports now understand that the North East club are assessing a number of alternative options in case the deal falls through.

Shields Gazette already understands that long-term target Edmond Tapsoba is one key target, following his invincible season with Bayer Leverkusen but another name that is featuring prominently in recruitment discussions, according to Sky Sports is Axel Disasi.

The 26-year-old made 44 appearances across all competitions and enjoyed a steady first season as Chelsea regained their place in Europe while also reaching the final of the Carabao Cup and the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Disasi is a player that new sporting director Paul Mitchell is already familiar with from his time at AS Monaco and it was crucially the 42-year-old that instigated his move to the Stade Louis II back in 2020. Prior to moving to Chelsea, Disasi made 99 appearances for the Red and Whites forming a key part of a back line for a team which always finished inside the top six throughout his time at the club.