Latest: Saudi club “preparing transfer offer” for defender Chelsea would love to sell | OneFootball

Chelsea’s push to sell players this summer has gone very well, but there are still a few lingering.

Axel Disasi has not had a huge amount of interest, but today we have reports from the reliable Santi Aouna writing for FootMercato that Saudi team NEOM are interested in him.

The former Monaco defender is said to be on their shortlist. After being a regular under Mauricio Pochettino two years ago, taking advantage of Wesley Fofana’s injury, Disasi tumbled down the pecking order last season. He played mainly Conference League football until January, when he was loaned out to Aston Villa.

Since returning from the Midlands, it’s been very clear that he has no place in Enzo Maresca’s plans, and everyone has been waiting for a suitable offer to arrive.

It’s noted in the piece that “several Premier League clubs are interested in signing him,” but beyond some talk last week about Bournemouth, we’ve really not seen anything too concrete on that front at all.

Disasi may be forced into Saudi move by lack of serious alternatives

Axel Disasi in action for Aston Villa against PSG. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The article then strikes back with a rather undermining start to the second paragraph – “the 27-year-old is not interested in a move to Saudi Arabia.”

That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, of course. Plenty of players who weren’t “interested” have ended up making the move to Saudi in the end. Money talks. In Disasi’s position there’s also the increasing sense of desperation. He’s not wanted at Chelsea, and clearly won’t play more than a handful (if that) of minutes if he stays.

But there just doesn’t seem to be much interest from elsewhere – Disasi may end up as one of the few players who genuinely has to go to Saudi through a lack of other options.

There are worse situations to be in of course, at least financially…