West Ham 'ask Chelsea' to loan £39m defender but face fierce Crystal Palace battle
West Ham have reportedly made an offer for a Chelsea defender on deadline day - but may face competition.
West Ham United have approached Chelsea to enquire about the possibility of loaning defender Axel Disasi, according to deadline day reports – but may face competition from Crystal Palace in the final hours of the transfer window.
West Ham are looking for reinforcements at centre-half having added full-backs El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters, while Palace are hoping to sign two defenders on deadline day as they brace for the possible departure of Marc Guéhi.
West Ham target last-minute Axel Disasi loan deal
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reported on Monday morning that West Ham “have asked” Cheslea about a loan deal for Disasi, who remains a member of the club’s notorious ‘bomb squad’ alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell.
A separate report from Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, however, claims that Crystal Palace are also “considering” a late bid for the Frenchman, who has failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge after being signed for £38.5m in the summer of 2023.
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Disasi spent the second half of last season on loan at Villa Park but a permanent deal didn’t emerge and Chelsea have been casting around for potential bidders throughout the summer.
West Ham now appear to be among the frontrunners to sign the 27-year-old, who can play at either centre-back or right-back, but they may face competition as Palace work to find defensive reinforcements.
Crystal Palace target double defensive deal on deadline day
Palace, like West Ham, had a quiet start to the summer transfer window but are reportedly hoping to sign two defenders on Monday, in part due to the possibility that Liverpool complete a long-anticipated deal for England international Guéhi.
Recent reports have suggested that potential targets for Palace include Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande, Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji, AS Roma’s Evan Ndicka and Toulouse teenager Jaydee Canvot – but Disasi has now emerged as a possible option as well.
Disasi, who Aston Villa spent £5m on to take on loan for the final six months of the 2024/25 campaign, would present a cheaper alternative to some of their other targets, however, with long-standing interest in Diomande stymied by Sporting’s asking price.
West Ham, meanwhile, are expected to prioritise the signing of a centre-forward and potentially another midfielder on deadline day despite the arrivals of Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa. There is still uncertainty over the future of Tomáš Souček heading into the final hours of trading.
The transfer window closes on Monday at 7pm and both West Ham and Crystal Palace are expected to be active, while Chelsea will be hoping to find clubs willing to sign unwanted players such as Disasi, Sterling and Chilwell in order to fund late spending of their own.
Hopes that Aston Villa might make a permanent bid for Disasi have faded, with Unai Emery’s side forced to limit spending for much of the summer due to concerns over their position in relation to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.