West Ham United are planning to sign a defender on Deadline Day, but it seems one of their current ones is attracting surprise interest from Crystal Palace.
Indeed, West Ham are close to signing Chelsea defender Axel Disasi on loan during the final stages of the January transfer window.
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The Frenchman is reportedly set for a medical ahead of a short trip across London and now looks to be the man upon which Nuno Espirito Santo is pinning his defensive hopes on.
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We're closing in on a defender, but is he the right one?! 👀
A graphic showing Axel Disasi being set for a medical at West Ham ahead of a loan move from Chelsea.
Credit: Getty Images/ Harry Murphy – Danehouse
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That is a risk, given the defender hasn’t played at senior level for almost nine months now.
Still, as is always the case on Deadline Day, the rumour mill does not stop churning there.
All of that brings us to a certain Max Kilman.
Crystal Palace decision-makers not keen on Max Kilman despite talks
It would be fair to say that Kilman has struggled since joining the club from Wolves for around £40million in the summer of 2024.
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Kilman has lost his place to Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos in recent weeks, while Disasi’s seemingly imminent arrival will only push him further down the pecking order.
While some would no doubt argue that West Ham aren’t in a position to let defenders go, Kilman has long invoked the ire of supporters.
According to News Shopper London, Palace have discussed a potential move for Kilman.
How much of the £40m that we spent on Max Kilman could we realistically get back?!
A graphic showing the rumour linking West Ham defender Max Kilman with a move to Crystal Palace.
Credit: Getty Images/ James Gill – Danehouse
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Matt Hobbs is the sporting director at Selhurst Park and would have come across Kilman during his days at Wolves.
The report does add, however, that decision-makers behind the scenes at Palace are currently opposed to the idea of making a move.
Why selling Max Kilman is suddenly a risk for West Ham United
Kilman does attract a lot of criticism among the fanbase and it’s important to stress that he’s far from alone in struggling for the club from a defensive point of view.
While swapping him for Disasi may look like an upgrade on paper, it’s still a major risk.
Max Kilman playing for West Ham against QPR.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
For the next three games at least, Todibo is suspended for West Ham. Disasi, meanwhile, will surely need time to get back up to full match fitness.
Unless another new signing is made, letting Kilman go would weaken what is already the worst defence in Europe’s major five leagues even further in terms of bodies available.
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