Chelsea defender Axel Disasi’s difficult spell at Stamford Bridge could yet open the door to an unexpected move to Benfica.
The Portuguese giants now looking at the Frenchman as they search for a replacement for Bournemouth-bound António Silva.
Record report Benfica have discussed Disasi internally after running into problems in their pursuit of Cruzeiro defender Jonathan Jesus.
The Brazilian remains the priority, but with that deal becoming increasingly complicated, the Portuguese side are already exploring other options.
For Disasi, it could offer a welcome route out of a situation that has barely improved since joining Chelsea.
Benfica offer possible escape
Axel Disasi never really managed to establish himself at Chelsea. Competition for places has been fierce, with the London club stockpiling centre-backs over the past two years.
As new signings arrived and others fought for the same role, the France international slipped down the pecking order. That eventually led to a loan move to West Ham United in January.
While the Hammers endured a miserable second half of the season that ended in relegation, Disasi at least found something he had been missing at Chelsea – regular football.
He started every Premier League match after arriving and quickly became a permanent fixture in the side.
Now he’s back at Stamford Bridge, but it’s hard to see where he fits.
With Xabi Alonso taking charge and Chelsea still overloaded in central defence, another departure feels far more likely than a fresh opportunity.
Benfica keeping an eye on situation
That’s where Benfica could come in. According to Record, Disasi is one of the defenders the Portuguese club have looked at after hitting a wall in negotiations for Jonathan Jesus.
The report doesn’t suggest talks with Chelsea have started yet, and Jonathan Jesus hasn’t been ruled out completely. Cruzeiro simply remain firm over their demands and are reluctant to lose one of manager Artur Jorge’s key players.
Benfica do not want to waste time, though, especially after losing António Silva to Bournemouth. Rather than waiting indefinitely, they’ve started drawing up alternatives. And Disasi is now one of them.
After six frustrating months split between Chelsea and a relegated West Ham side, Benfica could represent the sort of reset his career needs. Whether that develops into anything concrete will likely depend on how quickly the Portuguese club decide to move on from Jonathan Jesus.
