Chelsea have been well known for their huge player turnover in recent years under the current ownership model, and that has regularly seen a number of players forced out of the club because there is no place in the squad.
That was the case last summer when a host of players were sidelined by then-manager Enzo Maresca, as they had no future at Stamford Bridge under his leadership. The likes of Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Ben Chilwell were part of that group, all of whom are no longer contracted to Chelsea.
But another member of that group was France international Axel Disasi, who has since joined London rivals West Ham to help them in their battle against relegation, and he has spoken out about what life was like being part of the 'bomb squad' at Chelsea.
Disasi: Chelsea 'Bomb Squad' Was Like Reality TV
disasi
Disasi joined Chelsea back in August 2023 in a deal worth just under £40m, and has made 61 appearances for the club, but has found himself sidelined in recent times, and spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa.
A permanent move didn't materialise, and Disasi returned to Stamford Bridge looking to fight for his place in the squad. However, he was kept away from the first-team squad by Maresca, and speaking to Canal+, he has revealed what it was like to be part of the isolated group.
"It was like a survivor show, someone got kicked out every week," Disasi said.
"Imagine, that locker room at the beginning was huge. Sterling and I were already there, and we stayed. Then there was Lesley Ugochukwu, Joao Felix, Renato Veiga, and [Ben] Chilwell. We trained together.
"The next day you could come in and say, "Where is he? Ah, he's found his club. "Ah, he's at his place, he's found his club".
"Until Raheem and I were left like that. It was just the two of us, we were like that. I remember the first day, I woke up like this: "Well, what do I do today?’ I have no training, no match to prepare for.
"You start sleeping late, eating a bit poorly, you wander around."
Disasi Proving His Premier League Worth
Axel Disasi
Disasi failed to secure a move away last summer, and spent the first half of his campaign training alone and trying to find ways to keep busy. But in January he joined West Ham on loan for the rest of the season, and has now established himself as a key part of their team as they battle against the drop.
Whether they stay up or not is not currently in their hands, but Disasi has surely done enough to earn interest from other Premier League clubs, and will be desperate to avoid being part of yet another bomb squad at Stamford Bridge this summer.
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