West Ham United are ‘at the final stage’ of signing Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi, according to Nicolo Schira.
Disasi joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023 from Ligue 1 side Monaco and was a regular for former coach Mauricio Pochettino, where he netted five goals in over 30 games for the Argentine manager.
However, he was part of the Blues’ infamous ‘bomb squad’ last season and failed to seal a move away from the club. This season, despite reintegrating with the first team in training, he’s yet to feature in any matchday squad, with his only appearance coming for the U21s in the Premier League 2.
The Frenchman is now looking to depart Stamford Bridge to gain more playing time and has reportedly been on the radar of AC Milan and West Ham, who are now looking to seal the deal for his signature.
According to Schira, West Ham are ‘at the final stage’ of completing the transfer of Disasi to the London Stadium before the deadline.
The agreement is expected to be a short-term deal, as the Italian journalist claims that the 6ft 3in centre-back is expected to put pen to paper on a six-month loan deal as a new Hammers player.
Late swoop
In a separate report, Standard Sport reports that West Ham have scheduled a medical for the France international, which is set to take place early on Monday before the winter transfer window closes.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been searching for a centre-back and now appear to have decided on Disasi as the domestic loan replacement for Igor Julio, who rejoined his parent club Brighton & Hove Albion last week.
Despite concerns over his match fitness and lack of playing time over the past year, his addition would be invaluable to their relegation battle, given his experience. The five-cap France international has played 44 Premier League games, eight in the UEFA Champions League and an impressive 130 appearances in Ligue 1.
Having captained Chelsea on several occasions in the UEFA Conference League last season, his leadership qualities are another tool that would be useful in the dressing room and in organising the backline.
A six-month loan move represents a low-risk option, as the Hammers could walk away next summer if he fails to meet expectations or submit an offer around his £12m Transfermarkt valuation to make the move permanent should he impress.
