{"id":2818,"date":"2026-03-08T15:29:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T15:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news678.top\/?p=2818"},"modified":"2026-03-08T15:29:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T15:29:45","slug":"it-was-crazy-chelsea-questioned-for-leaving-out-38m-machine-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=2818","title":{"rendered":"‘It was crazy!’ – Chelsea questioned for leaving out \u00a338m ‘machine’ | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\"Chelsea\t<\/div>
Axel Disasi completed a loan move from Chelsea to West Ham last month (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

El Hadji Malick Diouf has praised the impact Axel Disasi has made since joining West Ham, claiming it is \u2018crazy\u2019 that the defender had not been playing regularly for Chelsea.<\/p>\n

Disasi arrived at Chelsea with weighty expectations on his shoulders following a high-profile \u00a338million transfer move from Monaco back in 2023.<\/p>\n

But the 27-year-old centre-back struggled to live up to that hefty price tag across a mixed debut season at Stamford Bridge and was sent on loan to Aston Villa midway through the 2024\/25 campaign.<\/p>\n

After returning to Chelsea, Disasi was effectively frozen out of the first-team squad and therefore failed to make a single appearance in the first half of the season before joining West Ham on loan last month.<\/p>\n

The France international has hit the ground running with a string of impressive displays at the heart of Nuno Espirito Santo\u2019s defence, though, losing just one of his opening six matches for the club.<\/p>\n

He will no doubt be desperate to continue in the same vein if called upon when the Hammers do battle with Brentford for a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Monday evening.<\/p>\n

Having lined up alongside Disasi in all five of his first league appearances for West Ham, Irons left-back Diouf told the club\u2019s official website: \u2018The guy is not a small player!<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"West\t<\/div>
The French centre-half is a \u2018machine\u2019, says Diouf (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\"Fulham\t<\/div>
Diouf has waxed lyrical about Disasi\u2019s early impact (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He played for Chelsea, so he knows the league. <\/p>\n

\u2018It was crazy he stayed for such a long time and he didn\u2019t play, but when he came here, he showed that he\u2019s a machine!<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m really happy for him. He\u2019s a good defender and I think he helped us a lot.\u2019<\/p>\n

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The former Monaco and Reims defender still has three-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract with Chelsea.<\/p>\n

Whether or not West Ham explore a permanent deal for Disasi will likely depend on their success \u2013 or otherwise \u2013 in staving off relegation into the Championship at the end of the season.<\/p>\n

Serious questions were being asked of Espirito Santo\u2019s position as West Ham went on a miserable run of ten winless games between November and early January.<\/p>\n

However, the Hammers\u2019 upturn in form since the turn of the year has given the club fresh hope of survival in the Premier League after what had been a wretched winter period.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Fulham\t<\/div>
The Irons are battling it out for Premier League survival (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A total of four league victories in 2026 means the Irons now sit level on points with Espirito Santo\u2019s former club Nottingham Forest in the table \u2013 and a surprise win in their next clash with Manchester City could see them rise to 15th.<\/p>\n

After his side\u2019s most recent triumph away to Fulham, Espirito Santo insisted he and the squad remained hopeful of preserving their Premier League status for another season.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a special night because we did a good game in a tough, tough stadium against a very good team, with a good manager, fantastic players,\u2019 Espirito Santo told reporters shortly after the final whistle at Craven Cottage.<\/p>\n

\u2018We know how hard it is to come here and to achieve a result. That\u2019s what pleases us the most.<\/p>\n

\u2018We don\u2019t measure belief, we always have belief, we always have hope, what we need is improvement.<\/p>\n

\u2018Today was a big, big day for us, but the situation never changed. Nothing has changed. It required a lot more from all of us.\u2019<\/p>\n

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