West Ham Loanee Axel Disasi Eyes World Cup Selection After Chelsea Sideline
West Ham United's new signing Axel Disasi has arrived at the East London club with a clear personal objective: to play his way into the France squad for the upcoming World Cup this summer. The centre-back, who cost Chelsea £38.5 million, has been completely frozen out at Stamford Bridge this season, failing to feature for even a single minute of competitive action.
From Chelsea Exile to West Ham's Relegation Battle
Disasi's loan move to West Ham represents a dramatic shift from his situation at Chelsea, where he was marginalised despite his substantial transfer fee. The defender now finds himself thrust into the heart of West Ham's intense Premier League relegation fight. His fitness will be carefully assessed ahead of Saturday's crucial six-pointer against Burnley, a match made more significant by the suspension of fellow defender Jean-Clair Todibo following his red card against Chelsea.
The French international has previous World Cup experience, having appeared as a substitute in the 2022 final, but has earned just one additional cap since moving to English football. West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has acknowledged Disasi's personal ambitions while emphasising how they could benefit the team.
Manager Santo Sees Mutual Benefit in Disasi's Ambition
"He's in a good place physically and I think that he can help us," Santo stated about his new defensive acquisition. "He is a strong defender, good on the ball. It might sound even selfish to say it, but he has his personal objectives and one of them is to go to the World Cup."
The Portuguese manager elaborated on how Disasi's international aspirations could drive performance at club level: "So if he has this purpose on him, we have to take advantage of it and use it and he has to show and prove that he is good enough to play and be ambitious to go to the World Cup. But first he has to do his job here."
West Ham's January Reinforcements and Squad Commitment
Santo also addressed the broader context of West Ham's January transfer business, which saw the arrival of several players including Pablo, Valentino Castellanos, Adama Traore, and Keiber Lamadrid alongside Disasi. The manager delivered what appeared to be a parting shot at departed midfielder Lucas Paqueta, claiming West Ham now have a "fully committed squad" for their survival battle.
"You have to be brave to join a club in the situation that we are in and they've shown this commitment to come here and help," Santo remarked about his winter signings. "I don't recall one player saying no to us, personally. We don't have to sell. We have to show the reality, we don't sell dreams. The reality is all the players have joined a big club and should be proud to be here."
Looking Ahead After Chelsea Defeat
The Hammers suffered a painful 3-2 defeat against Chelsea last weekend despite leading 2-0 at one stage, a result that Santo admitted "still hurts everybody." However, the manager found positives in the performance: "We felt that the game was ours for us to take so it still hurts but we move forward. The positive is we played really good football. It's almost like saying let's keep these standards for all the games remaining of the season. If our standards are there, if we play this good, we're gonna be okay."
With Todibo suspended for the Burnley clash, Disasi could make his West Ham debut in a match of critical importance to both the club's survival prospects and his own World Cup ambitions. The defender's journey from Chelsea exile to potential World Cup contender represents one of the season's more intriguing narratives as the Premier League's relegation battle intensifies.
