Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign defender Axel Disasi from AS Monaco for 45m euros (£38.57m).
France international Disasi, 25, will give Chelsea another right-sided centre-back option following the injury to Wesley Fofana.
Fofana has been ruled out for several months after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
Benoit Badiashile is also currently injured and will not be fit until after the Premier League season starts.
Chelsea have Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill, who has interest from Brighton, as their options in the centre of defence as things stand.
Disasi has made 118 appearances for Monaco since joining the Ligue 1 club from Stade de Reims in August 2020.
He has earned four caps for France, making his full international debut in the World Cup defeat by Tunisia last November.
The Frenchman will become Chelsea’s third summer signing, following forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are also close to securing the £23.2m signing of Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, though he could be immediately sent on loan to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, after Chelsea’s ownership group purchased a majority stake in the club earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, Brighton have rejected a series of Chelsea bids for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
New boss Mauricio Pochettino is reshaping his already large squad after taking over from Frank Lampard.
Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and former captain Cesar Azpiliceuta have all departed the club so far this summer.
