It has looked like West Ham United has turned a corner recently. The club has won three games in a row, defeating Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup before back-to-back Premier League wins against Tottenham Hotspur and then Sunderland.
Lucas Paqueta's transfer saga has ended with the talented but controversial midfielder returning to Brazil with Flamengo. However, the Hammers have boosted their survival hopes with the signings of Taty Castellanos and Pablo.
James Ward-Prowse has been sent on loan to Burnley, which is a gamble allowing him to play for a relegation rival. Igor Julio's loan from Brighton has been cut short, which has allowed space for the Hammers to bring in another center-back.
Fabrizio Romano has posted on X: "Axel Disasi, close to joining West Ham on loan deal from Chelsea as talks advance to final stages. Disasi was never close to joining Italian clubs despite several reports and West Ham are now accelerating."
West Ham United fans will not be enamored by the signing of Axel Disasi
Disasi has been a part of Chelsea's 'bomb squad' this season. He has not played for the first team, but has made three appearances for the club's Under-21s. The center-back was on loan at Aston Villa last season, where he played just seven times in the Premier League.
He has a Europa Conference League winners' medal with Chelsea. However, he only featured in the group stage of the competition.
Disasi has worked his way up from playing in Ligue 2 with Paris FC. He was promoted from France's second tier with Stade de Reims before becoming a key player in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco. This earned him his transfer to Chelsea.
The defender enjoyed a good first season with the Blues, where he made 31 Premier League appearances and helped the club make it to the EFL Cup final. However, things quickly unravelled for him at Stamford Bridge.
Signing Disasi on loan shows how desperate West Ham are. They need back-up in the defensive line with Max Kilman being out of form. Disasi is only 27 and has five caps for France, but he has not played senior soccer this campaign, so it is a throw of the dice for the Hammers.
West Ham have also been linked with signing center-backs such as Charlie Cresswell, Nathan Ake, and Eric Dier this transfer window. However, none of these moves came to fruition, and they have had to settle on Disasi.