A member of Chelsea‘s ‘bomb squad’ has revealed why he snubbed an approach from West Ham during the summer transfer window, despite facing the prospect of four months in exile at Stamford Bridge.
Axel Disasi, who joined Chelsea for £38.5million from Monaco in 2023, has fallen dramatically down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca and is seeking a move away after being placed alongside Raheem Sterling and David Datro Fofana in the Italian’s three-man ‘bomb squad’.
The Frenchman joined Aston Villa on a short-term loan switch last January, aware his opportunities at Chelsea would be few and far between, but opted to turn down a similar approach from West Ham during the summer transfer window.
The Hammers, who brought in Brighton‘s Igor Julio instead, were not the only Premier League outfit interested in Disasi, who reportedly snubbed an approach to join Bournemouth on loan as well.
Now, Disasi must wait until the January transfer window to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge, where he will likely play no football after being left out of Chelsea’s Premier League and Champions League squads.
The 27-year-old defender has now revealed that he had his heart set on one particular club – and his ’emotional’ connection to them led to the collapse of other moves on the table this summer.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi has explained why he snubbed an approach from West Ham this summer
He now faces the prospect of four months in exile as part of Enzo Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’
Disasi revealed he had his heart set on returning to Monaco and it led to other moves collapsing
‘In the period between the approaches from Bournemouth and West Ham, Monaco arrived and that hit me emotionally,’ he told French outlet La Media Carre.
‘I had three incredible years at Monaco. When they came in, all the memories came back. Monaco is home.
‘I hoped that Chelsea would find a solution to allow me to leave on loan. I pushed until the last minute to go to Monaco.’
A French international with five caps, Disasi arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2023 with plenty of promise.
However, Chelsea’s ruthless recruitment strategy under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital has seen several players struggle to establish a first-team role within Maresca’s squad — ultimately opting to leave after frustrating spells on the sidelines.
Former England international Sterling was also thrown into Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ after the close of the summer transfer window, despite earning a whopping £325,000 per week.
Since joining the Blues for £50million in 2022 – one of BluesCo’s first signings – he has found times tough in London.
Reports have suggested that Sterling is keen not to relocate his family and seems, according to the BBC, reluctant to give Chelsea an easy route out of the agreement.
Raheem Sterling is also part of Chelsea’s three-man exile group, despite on £325,000 a week
Disasi (back left) arrived at Chelsea with plenty of promise after his £38.5m move from Monaco
When he joined Chelsea, he penned a five-year deal and still has £30million remaining on his contract, which runs until 2027.
Chelsea, who sit second in the Premier League behind reigning champions Liverpool, face Brentford at the Gtech Stadium in their next top flight game on Saturday night.
