West Ham United have completed the loan signing of Chelsea defender Axel Disasi for the remainder of the season. The deal, which does not include an option or obligation to buy, sees the 27-year-old centre-back move to the London Stadium after a prolonged negotiation process.
Manager Nuno Espírito Santo has been eager to strengthen his defence as West Ham battle relegation from the Premier League. Disasi, who has not played since last April, was a key target despite needing persuasion to agree to the move. West Ham paid a £1.7 million loan fee and submitted a deal sheet to ensure the transfer went through before the deadline.
The need for a new centre-back was heightened after Jean-Clair Todibo received a three-game ban following his red card in the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea last Saturday. Nuno has also lost faith in Max Kilman, who has been dropped from the starting lineup. West Ham hope Disasi, who fell out of favour at Chelsea, will be fit enough to start against Burnley this Saturday.
Disasi joined Chelsea from Monaco in the summer of 2023 but struggled to meet expectations. He spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he performed well, but was unable to secure a permanent move away from Chelsea in the summer. He has since trained away from the first team and played for the under-21s after moves to Bournemouth and Tottenham collapsed.
West Ham had previously attempted to sign Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis before turning to Disasi. Chelsea had hoped to find a permanent buyer for the defender, with interest from Milan, but accepted a loan as the best solution. The Blues have also recalled Mamadou Sarr from his loan at Strasbourg and sent Aaron Anselmino to the Ligue 1 side for the remainder of the season.
