West Ham United have missed out on a reunion with Axel Disasi after Crystal Palace secured a loan deal for the Chelsea defender.
The Hammers spent much of the summer attempting to bring the 28-year-old back to London Stadium following his impressive loan spell last season.
West Ham had even reached an agreement in principle with Chelsea earlier in the window, but Disasi wanted time to assess whether opportunities to remain in the Premier League would emerge.
Crystal Palace have now provided one.
The Guardian reports that Palace have secured a loan deal for Disasi, with the Frenchman set to strengthen Pierre Sage’s defence.
West Ham miss out after Axel Disasi agreement
The outcome completes a significant reversal from West Ham’s position earlier this month.
ReadWestHam reported on 3 August that West Ham and Chelsea had agreed a deal in principle for Disasi to return permanently.
Personal terms had also been verbally agreed, although the defender asked for between one and two weeks to discover whether other interested clubs would make concrete moves.
Palace were already among them.
Later that day, ReadWestHam reported that Crystal Palace had entered the race as they searched for defensive reinforcements.
That threat has now become decisive.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reports that West Ham wanted to bring Disasi back but that convincing him to join a Championship club was always going to prove difficult.
Nuno must look elsewhere for defensive reinforcement
Missing out removes a particularly attractive option for Nuno Espírito Santo.
Disasi already understands the manager’s system and made 14 Premier League appearances during his West Ham loan last season.
He quickly became an important member of the defence despite the club’s eventual relegation.
West Ham’s need for defensive depth has not disappeared.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s future remains uncertain amid interest from Marseille, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has now officially joined Aston Villa on loan.
Disasi would have provided an experienced player capable of settling immediately rather than requiring another adaptation period.
Instead, Palace can offer him the Premier League football he had been waiting for.
West Ham must now decide whether to accelerate interest in another centre-back before the transfer window closes.
