Manchester United are among the bunch of suitors circling around AS Monaco for centre-back Axel Disasi…
What’s the word?
According to the Daily Mail, United boss Erik ten Hag is mulling over a move for the young colossus, with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United also both touting the defender, with a report from Foot Mercato earlier this season stating that a fee of £44m would be required to prise him away from Monaco.
However, the 24-year-old's name raised to the tip of the rumour mill at a time when uncertainty bubbles concerning the future of Harry Maguire at Old Trafford, although the report continues to state that Ten Hag is against letting the £80m defender leave this winter.
A deal for the young titan could be complicated, though, by Chelsea’s recent acquisition of Benoit Badiashile, who signed earlier this week in a £35m swoop, with Monaco unlikely to be content with letting two promising positional peers both slip away during the same transfer window.
Dias 2.0
Signing for Monaco from fellow French outfit Reims in the summer of 2020, Disasi has since made 105 appearances, scoring nine goals and serving four assists.
His all-encompassing aura as a modern centre-back is a testament to the tremendous training setup oj which the Monegasques pride themselves, bringing a wealth of talented players through the ranks with every passing year.
As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old has recorded an average rating of 7.03 in Ligue 1 this term, impressing with his 83% passing accuracy and 0.4 key passes per match. He is also formidable with his defensive pedigree by making 1.2 tackles, two interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game.
This robust, "powerful" approach has been previously lauded by former Paris FC under-19 coach Mathieu Lacan, who previously waxed lyrical about Disasi's composed and athletic nature.
He said: “In his very first match for us, he impressed me with his serenity, the way in which he was calm but also so powerful. I could see he had huge potential. Besides his athletic qualities he was very mature for his age.”
At United, he could be the latest gem to be deployed into a star-studded system, exhibiting the full range of attributes indeed required to truly become a star performer at the Theatre of Dreams.
He could emulate the impact of Ruben Dias at crosstown rivals Manchester City, with the Portuguese ace signing for the Sky Blues in a £65m deal in September 2020 and instantly standing out with his defensive acumen, picking up the Premier League title and the 2020/21 PFA Player of the Year award.
As per FBref, Dias is one of the most comparable players to Disasi, with the latter ranking within the top 3% of defenders for assists, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 15% for interceptions - indicating an attack-minded mentality which will suit Ten Hag's fluid, positive philosophy to a tee.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig also once heralded the player for his "dominant" approach, and this assertiveness would likely grow even further with a move to the Red Devils.