Chelsea defender Axel Disasi was heavily linked with a move away from the club on deadline day, and he rejected West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
Axel Disasi, who cost Chelsea €45 million two years ago, needed to leave the West London club to play regularly in the 2025/26 and boost his bid to make the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, Graeme Bailey has revealed that the French international rejected multiple moves, including a deadline-day switch to West Ham United. It will be interesting to see if he can play regularly this season.
The Frenchman was on loan at Aston Villa in the second half of the 2025/26 season, and he did reasonably well with them. Moving to West Ham or Crystal Palace could have been ideal for him. He needs regular game time at this stage of his career.
With the World Cup coming up next year, sitting on the bench at Chelsea will not benefit him. The Blues do not view him as a key part of their plans, and they wanted to get rid of the player as well.
Chelsea will be disappointed with how the situation unfolded. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea can find a suitable destination for the player. The transfer window is still open in certain countries, and Chelsea should look to make the most of the situation.
Can Chelsea get rid of Axel Disasi?
Keeping an unwanted player at the club makes no sense, and Chelsea will look to get the player off their wage bill. West Ham United and Crystal Palace needed defensive reinforcements on deadline day, and the French international could have been a quality addition for them.
West Ham have looked vulnerable defensively, and they were linked with multiple defenders before they pursued Disasi. On the other hand, Crystal Palace decided to pull the plug on Marc Guehi’s exit because they could not bring in adequate cover.
If they had managed to sign the French defender from Chelsea, Guehi might have been playing for Liverpool. It remains to be seen how the situation develops regarding the 27-year-old defender.
There is no doubt that he is a quality player, and he could be an excellent addition to the right team. The player needs to sort out his future quickly, and he cannot afford to waste away on the Chelsea bench for a whole season. With several transfer windows still open, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the French international.