He arrived with the Hammers having kept one clean sheet all season.
He earned all the plaudits, both by fans and his teammates.
But relegation to the Championship looked to have ended all hope of making his loan permanent this summer, especially given Chelsea have made it clear they don’t want to keep him.
However, West Ham still have a chance of doing what most thought was impossible.
Disasi, though, has asked for a couple of weeks to assess other options he has on the table before signing on the dotted line with the Hammers.
Crystal Palace are the other club who are serious about signing the former Monaco star.
That poses an issue for the Hammers, with the south London club able to offer Disasi Premier League and European football this season.
But reports this week have given hope that West Ham’s hopes of adding Disasi to their Championship promotion-chasing squad could become a reality.
Crystal Palace baulk at Chelsea’s loan demands
While West Ham want to sign Disasi permanently, Palace are currently exploring a loan deal.
Palace, though, believe that to be too excessive.
It’s claimed they will attempt to renegotiate with Chelsea but whether or not the Blues will be willing to budge remains to be seen.
It would be something of a surprise if they are willing to negotiate on that loan fee, especially if reports they’ve agreed a £25m fee to sell him to West Ham are true.
You would have to assume Chelsea would prefer to do business with the Hammers at this stage, but Disasi’s preference on his future will also play a key role in whatever deal goes ahead.
The Hammers could, though, offer Chelsea’s loan demands instead, knowing Palace are unwilling to meet them.
Nuno could bring Disasi back on loan, with the view of finally making him a permanent West Ham player next summer if promotion is secured.
It could essentially rule Palace out of the race for Disasi’s services.
Axel Disasi still holds all the cards
While there’s still no agreement in place with Palace and West Ham are seemingly Disasi’s only concrete offer at this stage, Disasi still holds all the cards.
He understandably remains cautious over making a move to the Championship.
He loved his short time in east London and will no doubt recognise the benefits of returning to an environment he knows, with players he may now call friends.
But he knows there is still the possibility of playing top-flight and Europa League football if Palace and Chelsea can reach an agreement.
While that remains a possibility, it’s unlikely he will give West Ham the green light.
Axel Disasi needs to revive his career
Disasi has had a frustrating few years at Chelsea.
But he made just 17 appearances for the Blues the following season and was loaned to Aston Villa in January 2025.
Upon his return to Stamford Bridge, Disasi found himself in Chelsea’s bomb squad.
A brief loan spell in east London last season revived his career somewhat and he will want to build on that by securing the best possible move his career in the next couple of weeks.
Going from Chelsea’s bomb squad to playing regularly in the Premier League and the Europa League will be some career turnaround.
But it could also be argued a season helping West Ham win promotion back to the top-flight, where he will be a fan favourite, might be a better long term career move.
At 28-years-old, he’s still got time to find his way back to the top of the game.
What better way to do it than at a club where you’ve been on the journey from the very start?
There will likely be several more twists in this saga before the end of the transfer window, but it’s fair to say West Ham may have been handed a significant boost over the last 24 hours.
Have your say!
Would West Ham be better off meeting Chelsea’s loan demands for Disasi, instead of pushing for a permanent deal? Have your say in the comments below…
