Manchester United were linked with a move for Axel Disasi earlier this summer. He endured a tough game at the weekend for new club Chelsea as they slipped to defeat.
Perhaps the Frenchman is a player United should not be upset about missing out on.
Disasi struggles in Chelsea loss
On a day in which Enzo Fernandez missed a penalty, Moises Caicedo gave one away, Mykhaylo Mudryk raised further questions about his staggering price-tag and Robert Sanchez was beaten three times, the performance of another big-money Chelsea signing provided a further headache Mauricio Pochettino could have done without.
One week after scoring Chelsea’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool, new £38 million centre-back Axel Disasi did precious little to suggest that he represents an upgrade on the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The France international was bullied by Michail Antonio in the build up to West Ham’s second goal in Sunday’s 3-1 win; initially caughing up possession initially before standing off the veteran forward as he lashed home from home.
To say it was ‘avoidable’ would be an understatement.
“He played right into their hands there, Disasi. He’s had a poor second half,” Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who knows a thing or two about life as a Premier League centre-half, told Sky Sports during a damaging defeat.
“He’s involved in the (West Ham) goal, he’s given free-kicks away, he’s put crosses over the bar.”
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If Disasi’s less-than-convincing defending had the away fans scratching their heads at one end, his rather wild distribution at the other made something of a mockery of the former Monaco man’s £38 million price-tag. Shortly after that misplaced pass set Antonio on his way, Disasi then ballooned a dreadful cross out for a goal kick.
On this evidence – and while the sample size is still only two games large – Disasi’s error-riddled start to life in English football has done little to suggest that Manchester United will rue missing out, Fabrizio Romano reporting that Erik ten Hag had ‘approved’ a deal for Disasi after ‘weeks’ of negotiations between the Red Devils and Les Monegasques.
Disasi needs only look at the situation facing Harry Maguire to Old Trafford to realise that, in arguably world football’s most unforgiving habitat, mistakes and performances such as this are not readily forgiven.