Manchester United chose to wait until summer 2024 to sign a centre-back, a risky move that seems to have worked out after a tough season. Erik ten Hag faced a big test in his second summer as manager. The Dutch boss had to deal with many team gaps and a limited budget to fix them.
Their finances got tighter after they signed Mason Mount, a player they did not need at first. This choice meant that once they got a goalkeeper and a striker, there would be no budget left to sign a world-class defender.
As a result, United decided to bring in Jonny Evans back to the club, for free. While many were skeptical about this signing, Evans’ experience and leadership turned out to be important. He helped stabilise the defence during a rocky season.
Manchester United Once Held an Interest in Disasi
In early 2023, Manchester United showed interest in Monaco’s centre-back Axel Disasi. The Mail reported this initial attention in January. Later, in June 2023, French newspaper, L’Equipe, wrote that Disasi was keen to join United. However, United’s budget did not allow them to buy a centre-back. This caused Chelsea to step in and sign Disasi for £38.8 million.
Disasi played 29 Premier League games for Chelsea in his first season under the then manager, Mauricio Pochettino. Disasi’s performance contributed to a sixth-place finish for Chelsea in the league last season. However, he had an inconsistent season overall, and did not stand out as a top defender. Throughout the season, his performances could not show that Manchester United had made a mistake by their lack of effort to sign him.
Axel Disasi: A Brief Stint at Chelsea?
Axel Disasi’s time at Chelsea might end after just one season. The Guardian reports that Enzo Maresca, the new manager, doesn’t intend to use Disasi this season. Maresca favours a centre-back duo of Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana. Even Tosin Adarabioyo, who joined this summer, ranks higher than Disasi in the team’s lineup.
Disasi’s spot at Chelsea looks shaky after he had a successful hernia operation recently. This kept him off the field for most of the pre-season, barely giving him any chance of catching the new head coach’s eye. Because of this, Chelsea have put Disasi up for sale, and according to Football Transfers, Newcastle seem interested.
Newcastle want a new centre-back and believe that Crystal Palace are asking too big of an amount for Marc Guehi. So, they are now looking at Disasi as an alternative. David Ornstein says that Newcastle hope to take advantage of the uncertainty around Disasi at Chelsea, as they look to strengthen their team for the season ahead.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are no longer concerned with Disasi’s availability. The club has already bolstered their defence by signing two centre-backs they think are better than Disasi. They have added Leny Yoro, who is seen as a once-in-a-generation talent in French football, and Matthijs de Ligt, who has proven himself to be amongst the Europe’s top defenders.
Even though injury problems in their defence led to a tough season, United feel good about not going for Disasi. With a stronger defence and an eye on what is coming, Manchester United seem to have handled the summer transfer market well, making sure they are ready for what lies next.
Chelsea Fans Keeping Their Fingers Crossed
Letting Disasi go might seem too hasty, given how he played last season. However, bringing in new players and losing him could shake up the defence they have been building.
Maresca evidently prefers Colwill and Fofana, with Adarabioyo as a backup. This shows he is going for young, energetic players. They might offer more in the defence than Disasi would. The Blues fans are eager to see how things will work out on the pitch. They are keen for Chelsea to get back to winning big again.
The summer clearout is a gutsy call by Chelsea to shape the squad around Maresca’s game plan. This shows they are in it for the long haul, which might just bring Chelsea back to the top in both English and European competitions. As the transfer window rolls on, fans hope these shake-ups will build a tighter and stronger team, one that will be ready to fight for trophies.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
