Despite a drop in form in the second half of the season so far, Chelsea’s squad actually got weaker as a result of the January transfer window.
The Blues did recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan away at Crystal Palace, with him becoming a starter under Enzo Maresca since his return.
There was also the addition of youngster Mathis Amougou. Despite being named in the squad since signing, Amougou is expected to be loaned out this summer.
The likes of Joao Felix and Renato Veiga left the club to move to AC Milan and Juventus respectively, with them having the opportunity to compete in the Champions League.
The former has already exited the competition after just two games, and was unable to make an impact in AC Milan’s damning defeat to Feyenoord.
Axel Disasi thought he was staying at Chelsea on deadline day
Another player who this was the case for is Axel Disasi, who completed a deadline-day move to Aston Villa.
Unai Emery was making calls daily to Disasi to try and convince him of the project at Villa Park, and this was successful as he turned down any approaches from Tottenham for a late loan.
It had been pretty clear that Maresca did not consider the Frenchman part of his long-term plans at the club. The majority of his minutes came in the Conference League.
| Axel Disasi Chelsea stats 24/25 | Games | Minutes |
| Premier League | 7 | 364 |
| Conference League | 6 | 509 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 90 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 153 |
Despite Chelsea not standing in his way of leaving, Disasi had fears on deadline day that his desired move was not going to happen.
He told The Express: “It was stressful, very stressful. When I woke up on the morning I was thinking I would stay at Chelsea and play, or not play, I don’t know.
“Then in the afternoon things were going on, things changed, I was going, then not going, then going again. I think I signed at 10.45, so 15 minutes later it would have been too late. But I am here and please God, I am happy.”
Trevoh Chalobah recall a sign Chelsea do not need Disasi
Despite being very happy to get away from Stamford Bridge, there is no option or obligation for Villa to sign Disasi this summer. This will be troubling to the Frenchman, whose current contract with the Blues is not set to expire until 2029.
While Chalobah’s prospects at the club are also unclear, he has enjoyed a far better campaign so far than Disasi.
| Axel Disasi vs Trevoh Chalobah PL stats | Axel Disasi | Trevoh Chalobah |
| Tackles | 4 | 17 |
| Tackles won (%) | 57.1 | 73.9 |
| Duels won (%) | 51.6 | 58.5 |
| Recoveries | 17 | 66 |
Despite playing more Premier League games, Chalobah clearly has the better success rate in both his tackles and his duels, playing the majority of his minutes for a weaker side in Palace.
Disasi was reportedly last-choice centre-back for Maresca, and Chelsea are no doubt going to be looking at signing a new option in the summer.
