Aston Villa have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Axel Disasi on loan for the rest of the season from Chelsea, pipping Tottenham Hotspur to his signature.
Villa were controversially beaten 2-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday evening, and the defeat saw Unai Emery's side fall four points from fourth-placed Manchester City.
Emery's team have already secured the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, and it looks as if the Spanish manager's squad will be reinforced further.
Journalist Matt Law claims that Chelsea have reached an agreement to send centre-back Disasi on loan to Villa for the rest of the season, with Spurs set to miss out on his signature.
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Disasi deal details contract details
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Chelsea defender will make the move from London for a loan fee of £5m, with his salary covered by the Blues.
The centre-back will return to Stanford Bridge at the end of the campaign, though there is a chance that a permanent move could materialise given Tyrone Mings's injury issues in the past seasons.
Disasi has only played 365 minutes of in the Premier League this tern, and has fallen out of favour with Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
Tottenham were said to be keen on completing a deal for the Frenchman for a similar loan fee, especially in light of Radu Dragusin's injury, but it seems as if the lure of Champions League football at Villa Park was too much to turn down.
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Will Villa make a push for the Champions League?
Emery's side qualified automatically for the Champions League's round of 16, and they will take on one of Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Club Brugge or Sporting Lisbon.
The arrival of Rashford and Disasi would be a statement of intent from the Lions, and it would also highlight the faith that the boardroom hold in Emery to succeed.
Villa have at times struggled to cope with their intense schedule, and perhaps their January business will help them to rotate their squad, keeping their key players fresh for crucial matchups later in the season.
If Disasi was to sign for for Villa, he could make his debut on February 9 against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, with his first game in the Premier League possibly coming against Ipswich Town on February 15.
Lewis Nolan
