Fabrizio Romano has now shared an afternoon update on Chelsea defender Axel Disasi amid West Ham's bid to sign him this month.
The Hammers are reportedly scrambling to land Blues outcast Axel Disasi before Monday's deadline, but clubs from Italy and France have seemingly crashed the party at the last minute.
Disasi
This is despite West Ham previously looking nailed on to pinch the French defender on loan after Romano revealed talks were in the final stages on Thursday night.
Nuno Espírito Santo desperately needs defensive cover after shipping goals left and right this season, sitting 18th and fighting for their Premier League lives.
Disasi's been rotting in Chelsea's reserves all season and hasn't kicked a ball for the first team in over a year.
The 27-year-old's been training with the U21s just to stay match-fit after being frozen out under Enzo Maresca, and new boss Liam Rosenior hasn't fancied him either despite bringing him back into first-team training.
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They've been contacted about a late-window move.
West Ham freed up a loan spot by booting Igor Julio back to Brighton after just four disappointing appearances. Sky Sports reported on Friday that the Irons want a straight six-month loan without any commitment to buy.
However, the move has gone a bit pear-shaped.
BBC Sport said this morning that Roma have registered an interest and Lyon want to be kept informed about Disasi's availability, but Chelsea haven't received a formal offer from either side.
The Frenchman flopped massively after his £38 million move from Monaco in 2023, making just 61 Chelsea appearances before getting shipped to Aston Villa on loan last season where he sporadically featured.
Disasi-Newcastle-Chelsea-EFL-Cup
That being said, the 6 foot 3 titan could help West Ham's shocking set-piece defending, and could prove a more viable option than Max Kilman.
Unfortunately for Nuno, the biggest threat isn't from Roma or Lyon, it is from AC Milan.
Fabrizio Romano shares Axel Disasi update with West Ham bid on the table
Taking to X, Romano says that West Ham's offer for Disasi remains on the table, but the centre-half has given priority to the Rossoneri as things stand.
Compared to another target like Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Disasi's a dirt cheap solution, with just a loan fee and wages for six months and zero commitment.
He's Premier League-proven and knows English football inside out. Five France caps show he's got pedigree too, and his versatility means he can slot in at centre-back or right-back when Nuno needs options.
However, Disasi also hasn't played proper football in over a year, and has been stuck with Chelsea's kids getting match-fit.
Aston Villa's Axel Disasi in action with Brentford's Kevin Schade-1
Villa barely used him on loan last season either, which is a worrying sign for Nuno.
At just 27, it is curious as to why Disasi was banished by Maresca with Chelsea now desperate to shift him.
West Ham need someone who can hit the ground running, not a potential has-been needing rehabilitation, so missing out on Disasi may not be a major catastrophe.
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