Axel Disasi puts himself in Chelsea shop window again after West Ham loan collapsed
Axel Disasi has made a surprise appearance in a Chelsea shirt ahead of a likely January exit, after a loan move to West Ham broke down in the summer.
The French central defender has been frozen out under Enzo Maresca and left in the Blues' bomb squad with Raheem Sterling but captained their Under-21s side to a 4-1 win over Reading on Saturday.
West Ham moved to sign Disasi on loan on Deadline Day at the start of the season when Graham Potter was in charge but the move didn't come off.
At the time West Ham had certain concerns over the finances of signing the Chelsea man, and Disasi has admited he hoped to re-join Monaco over the Irons or other Premier League sides at that point.
Igor Julio arrived at the London Stadium on loan from Brighton instead before the window shut.
Axel Disasi captains Chelsea academy side ahead of January
According to an update from BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella the 27-year-old Disasi had loan exits lined up to the London Stadium, Sunderland and Bournemouth at the end of the previous window.
All those exit routes collapsed as his preferred European options never materialised, and Disasi reportedly still has hope that Chelsea will allow him to play for the first team again in the coming weeks rather than leave him "stranded" with Sterling out in the cold.
The Blues are said to remain intent on selling him in the upcoming window, and the academy fixture is seen as a "win-win" for player and club to improve his match fitness and "put himself in the shop window".
It also appears to be something of a reward for his professionalism in difficult circumstances as he is described as showing a positive example to the younger players.
Could be third time lucky for West Ham and Disasi
As with so many targets in recent seasons this is a player who has been repeatedly linked to a Hammers move for multiple windows.
Disasi was offered to West Ham in last season's winter window as Potter's arrival opened the link for the Stamford Bridge side to offload some of their extra players but the Englishman turned it down, with the four-cap international ending up at Aston Villa instead.
In true West Ham fashion the tables appeared to have belatedly turned in the summer with the move falling through thanks to the player himself that time round.
It might now be a marriage of convenience for both sides at the third attempt, as it is hard to see any club coming in with a satisfying permanent offer midseason for a player who originally cost £38.5 million, and Disasi needs to play senior football so he might be more open to another Premier League loan.
Whether Nuno Espirito Santo would have an interest is another matter, especially now that results are improving with Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo at centre-back, but Julio's impact has been minimal so there is a potential chance.
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