by Staff Writer
Tuesday, 3rd February 2026
Axel Disasi says he is happy to have been offered the opportunity of first team football having been frozen out of the picture at Stamford Bridge.
The 27-year-old defender became West Ham's final piece of the January jigsaw when moving from Stamford Bridge on loan (with no option or obligation to make the deal permanent) for the remainder of the campaign.
And Disasi insists he isn't just here to make up the numbers - while admitting a place in France's World Cup squad was a key factor in persuading his to jump from west to east London.
"I'm very happy to be here and happy for this opportunity for my career," he said, speaking in his first full interview since becoming a Hammer. "I'm just ready to fight and to play games.
"I think it was the right move for me because as everyone knows from my situation, I needed to get some minutes and the club gave me the opportunity to show my qualities on the pitch. I spoke with all the people here and I felt that they really wanted me. So that's why I'm here today.
"I just want to bring my personality, my character as well, on the pitch. I like to be dominant and aggressive but at the same time, outside the pitch, I'm someone who can laugh with the guys and make jokes. So I just want to bring myself and be sure that we achieve our goals.
"I came because it's a exciting challenge, as well. We know that the club is not in the place that they should be but I'm here to help the team and to bring what I can to help achieve this goal. The ambition, as I said, is to put the club back in its normal position and to enjoy playing football. That's it."
And Disasi's path into the first team will be helped by being surrounded by fellow French speaking defenders, three of whom he knows particularly well already.
"I know Alphonse Areola and Jean-Clair Todibo from the national team, so I'm very happy to see them here," confirmed Disasi. "I know [Soungoutoo] Magassa as well, I saw him starting in Monaco as a professional. So I'm happy to see them and I'm sure that we'll get the confidence together on the pitch.
"I spoke with Songu, he told me to sign! Even last summer when he signed [for West Ham] I sent him a message saying "congratulations, but this is the Premier League now so you have to be ready". I spoke with him this week and yeah, I think he's happy as well, so that's nice."
And with a place in this summer's World Cup Finals in the United States potentially up for grabs, Disasi knows it is incumbent upon him to perform to a high standard while at West Ham.
"Yeah, that's one of my goals and why I am here as well, to come back to the national team," he confessed. "So I will give the maximum to ensure this goal as well.
"As I say, everyone knows my situation the past month, so I just want to get back on the field, feel the succession of games and help the team with my skills."
As for what specific skills he will bring to the team? "My style of play, I will say that I'm aggressive and dominant," he insisted. "I love to attack with the ball when I have the space as well . And yeah, I will try to bring this to the team, to show my character on the pitch and outside it.
"My message is we will need the support of everyone - and we will fight until the end to achieve the goal of everyone here."
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