Axel Disasi finds minutes again at West Ham after Chelsea exile | OneFootball

Frozen out by Chelsea for more than nine months, the France defender Axel Disasi is playing again on loan at West Ham.

According to L'Équipe, after completing 90 minutes at Burnley in a 2-0 win on 7 February, he played the full match against Manchester United, a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, where he lost a stoppage-time duel to Benjamin Sesko. He now awaits Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Burton Albion, kick-off 13:15.

Before this restart, his last senior outing had been on 22 April, 31 minutes for Aston Villa, where he was on loan, in a 1-2 defeat to Manchester City.

His recent path suggests choices not always right. Signing for Chelsea in summer 2023 was not one, and a first loan to Villa in January 2025 did not come off. This season he did not feature once for the Blues and was sent to the U21s, clocking 161 minutes from October, including a 1-3 loss to Paris-SG’s U21s on 3 December, in which he struggled.

Sighted at the eve-of-match session before the Champions League meeting with Paphos, a 1-0 win on 21 January, some thought a recall was coming. It was not. He worked towards a winter exit and was even allowed to train alone for several days in Marrakech with a fitness coach. His options were limited because Chelsea had hit their quota of overseas loans.

In the final days of the window Chelsea and West Ham agreed a paid loan, fee around €2m, with no obligation to buy, not the Blues’ initial preference as he is under contract until June 2029. At West Ham he was welcomed by compatriots Alphonse Areola and Jean-Clair Todibo, and is playing.

Paired with Konstantinos Mavropanos in central defence, he has looked solid. Nuno Espirito Santo praised his Burnley display despite less than a week of training and said he had integrated quickly on and off the pitch. Supporters have also lauded the France international, five caps, and believe the team can stay in the Premier League. For Disasi, it is a chance to show the edge that has been missing in recent months.

Source: L'Équipe