Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with West Ham United over the permanent transfer of Axel Disasi, according to Simon Phillips.
The deal is not complete, however, with the defender asking for up to two weeks to assess interest from other clubs before making his final decision.
Phillips reports that West Ham have also verbally agreed personal terms with the France international. The proposed contract would include a buyout clause if the Hammers fail to secure promotion back to the Premier League.
Disasi already knows the London Stadium well after spending the second half of last season on loan there. Chelsea’s official profile records that he became a regular under Nuno Espírito Santo, including five consecutive Premier League starts and a goal in West Ham’s FA Cup quarter-final against Leeds.
Axel Disasi West Ham transfer now rests with defender
The major obstacle is therefore no longer an agreement between Chelsea and West Ham. Instead, Disasi wants another one to two weeks to discover whether other interested clubs are prepared to make serious moves.
That leaves Chelsea waiting despite having a route to remove another centre-back from Xabi Alonso’s squad. The Blues have significant numbers in that position following the arrival of Maxence Lacroix, while recent reports suggest Alonso wants to reduce his defensive options before the transfer window closes.
ReadChelsea recently examined Chelsea’s wider transfer picture and identified Disasi among the defenders who could leave this summer. That report also highlighted the need to trim Alonso’s squad after another busy period of recruitment.
West Ham’s interest is not new. Disasi spent the second half of last season there after joining on loan in February, with the original agreement containing no permanent option.
Chelsea have now seemingly done the difficult part by reaching terms with both West Ham and, verbally, the player.
However, Disasi is not ready to commit just yet. Chelsea must now wait to discover whether another club can change the defender’s mind before the proposed permanent return to West Ham moves forward.
