Axel Disasi is reportedly open to staying at West Ham United beyond the current campaign. More pertinently, the France international just wants to get out of Chelsea.
To quote the five-cap Les Bleus stopper, Disasi found himself in a ‘crazy’ situation at Chelsea.
Believe it or not, and you’d be forgiven for overlooking this considering just how effortlessly Axel Disasi has slotted in, West Ham United’s 2-0 win at Burnley in February was his first competitive outing of 2025/26.
He’s barely missed a minute since. Or a beat, for that matter.
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Disasi has THREE years left on his Chelsea contract…
Axel Disasi at the end of the match during the Premier League match between Fulham and West Ham United
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Club insider ExWHUemployee dropped a very welcome bombshell before West Ham set up an FA Cup quarter-final meeting with Leeds on Monday night. Disasi is now ‘keen on a permanent switch’ to the London Stadium.
And while his price-tag is yet to be determined, Chelsea will hardly be negotiating from a position of strength.
Chelsea have not helped themselves as Axel Disasi eyes West Ham United stay
Yes, Disasi still has another three years to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge. Yes, the Blues paid an eye-watering £38 million to sign him from Monaco in 2023.
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But, by shoving Disasi into the so-called ‘bomb squad’ and removing him from all first-team duties for the entire first half of the campaign, West Ham’s London rivals could hardly have made it more apparent that Disasi does not have a future in a Chelsea shirt.
Axel Disasi celebrates after West Ham United beat Fulham in the Premier League.
Photo by Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The appointment of Liam Rosenior as Enzo Maresca’s replacement on January 6th did not change that, even if Disasi did briefly return to first-team training before his deadline day exit.
Now, perhaps the biggest obstacle likely to fall into West Ham’s path – presuming they finish the season outside the relegation zone – is Chelsea’s valuation. And the prospect of competition from elsewhere.
Disasi has been among the most transformative winter signings anywhere in the Premier League. That own goal in the 5-2 defeat by Liverpool aside, West Ham average 1.6 points per game with Disasi compared to 0.8 without him.
They concede two league goals on average without him as well, compared to a much-improved 1.2 with the Frenchman. The statistics tell a tale, while he also passes the eye test with flying colours.
Hammers might face competition in Disasi battle
There is therefore a very real chance that Disasi’s performances have caught the eye of other, more stable and more deep-pocketed clubs in the market for an imposing, experienced central defender.
Chelsea do not often let even fringe players leave on the cheap, either. They generated a staggering £263 million in the summer of 2025 by selling the likes of Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Armando Broja and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
What would you sacrifice for FA Cup GLORY?
Surely not your Premier League status…
Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United celebrates the win after the Premier League match between Fulham and West Ham United at Craven Cottage in London, England, on March 4, 2026.
Yet, when it comes to Disasi, Chelsea’s handling of the situation not only left the 27-year-old feeling unfairly treated, his complete removal from the first-team picture only served to advertise just how desperate they were to get rid.
“If I say everything, maybe I will get into trouble,” Disasi told Sky Sports after centre-back partner Konstantinos Mavropanos fired West Ham past Brentford in an emphatic penalty shoot-out victory.
“But it was tough [being out of favour at Chelsea]. It was very tough to be watching every single week, every single weekend the games on the TV.
“I was just working, waiting for my time and that’s why now I’m just enjoying because I know what it feels like to be in front of the TV and not on the pitch.”
France international was not happy with Chelsea’s treatment
If Disasi is open to staying at West Ham, you can bet your house on the fact that West Ham are open to keeping Disasi.
And if Chelsea are planning to play hardball, hoping that they can spark a bidding war while convincing their forgotten man to snub the Hammers in favour of a bigger offer elsewhere, they may just end up regretting the callous, brutal way they froze him out in the first place.
After the way they treated him, why should Disasi play ball and accept being used as a pawn in a financial game?
“It has been really nice [at West Ham]. My situation before was a little bit crazy. For me it is only a positive to be here, it feels great to be part of something,” a grateful Disasi told the Ironcast podcast in February.
“In Chelsea, the time was a little bit crazy but my background helped me to get through. I stayed sharp, I was working hard and always made sure that my head stayed in the right way.
“My family helped me a lot going through this. During this period I saw that my background helped me a lot.”
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