Tottenham Hotspur have apparently made an approach to sign Chelsea defender Axel Disasi after failing in their efforts to lure Fikayo Tomori away from AC Milan.
The Lilywhites are desperately searching for central reinforcements before Monday's transfer deadline after Radu Dragusin suffered a knee injury in Thursday's 3-0 Europa League win over Elfsborg.
Spurs are allegedly fearful that the Romanian has suffered a severe issue, while Cristian Romero is still out with a thigh concern and Micky van de Ven has only just returned from one of his own.
Tottenham's bid to strengthen their backline is said to have led them to Tomori, who has slipped down the San Siro pecking order, and Spurs reportedly struck a verbal agreement over a fee with Milan on Friday.
However, Tomori wanted a few hours to make his final decision, and according to Gianluca Di Marzio, the former Chelsea defender has decided that he wants to continue at AC Milan.
Tottenham 'make contact' over Disasi as Tomori rejects move
© Imago
Unless Tomori performs a dramatic U-turn over the next 48 hours, Tottenham must give up hope of bringing him back to the Premier League, and the Lilywhites have already identified one potential alternative.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites have approached Chelsea's Disasi over a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they are not alone in the race for the Frenchman.
Premier League rivals Aston Villa - who have just lost Tyrone Mings to another knee injury - are already believed to have agreed personal terms with Disasi, who is expected to make his final call 'soon'.
The former Monaco man has only enjoyed very limited game time in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, making just six appearances and totalling a mere 364 minutes in the top flight.
Disasi has frequently captained Chelsea in the Conference League, though, registering one goal and two assists in Europe's third-tier competition, but he is behind Levi Colwill, the recalled Trevoh Chalobah and the injured Wesley Fofana in Enzo Maresca's pecking order.
Would Disasi improve Tottenham?
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Make no bones about it Daniel Levy - from an outfield point of view, this transfer window has been a disaster for Tottenham, whose fans are growing increasingly irritated with the lack of movement from the technical team.
Tomori is the second high-profile player to allegedly turn down a move to Tottenham this week; Levy flew over to Germany to present Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel with his project, only to also be rejected by the young Frenchman.
However, if Spurs can get a deal for Disasi over the line, Ange Postecoglou would be blessed with another versatile and physically imposing defensive option, one who also possesses a frequent goal threat.
Curiously, Disasi has played most of his football at right-back this season, meaning that Pedro Porro could earn a well-earned rest in either the Premier League or Europa League if Spurs can strike a deal with Chelsea.
Disasi is not as natural a fit on that side and could certainly not replicate Porro's exceptional deliveries from out wide, but at this point, Tottenham need any and all defenders they can get.
Ben Knapton
