Wolves making late drive for £25m CB who Newcastle have been pushing to sign

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now making a late drive to sign a £25m defender, who Newcastle United have been pushing to sign, reporter Simon Phillips has revealed.

Wolves eager to bolster defensive options

Following Nelson Semedo’s departure, one of Vitor Pereira’s most pressing tasks is to bring in a new right-back before the Premier League season gets underway in less than two weeks’ time.

It was recently revealed that the Old Gold have agreed a £14.8m deal to sign Sevilla defender Juanlu, but they are yet to get it over the line, given that the 21-year-old wants to join Serie A champions Napoli, who have also been named as potential suitors.

Borussia Dortmund’s Ryerson is another option on the shortlist, and contact was recently made with the right-back’s agents, although there could be competition for his signature from newly-promoted Sunderland.

Given that Semedo’s contract has now expired, bringing in a new right-back is of key significance, but Pereira may also be keen to bolster his options in central defence, given that his side shipped the most goals of any side to avoid relegation last season.

According to Phillips (via Molineux News), Wolves are now making a late drive to sign Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi, with the defender also a target for Newcastle United, who have been pushing to get a deal over the line for quite some time.

Chelsea are open to sanctioning Disasi’s departure this summer, with it previously being revealed the Blues could hold out for £25m, but up to this point they have mainly been receiving loan to buy offers.

“Monster” Disasi could help solve Wolves’ defensive woes

Once described as a “monster” by journalist Rahman Osman, the French defender has been unable to force his way into Enzo Maresca’s plans, but he managed to impress during a loan spell at Aston Villa during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

It has been suggested that Villa wanted to sign the 27-year-old on a permanent basis, having impressed staff with his mentality and dedication to training during his time with Unai Emery’s side.

The five-time France international made ten appearances for the Villans, during which time he impressed in possession of the ball and in the air, placing in the 95th percentile for his pass completion rate per 90, and the 90th percentile for aerials won over the past year.

Wolves have already made major improvements to their attack this summer, bringing in the likes of Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez, so it could now be time to work on strengthening their defence, and Disasi has what it takes to be a success at Molineux.