Leeds United are keeping a close eye on Axel Disasi and could move for the defender if West Ham’s relegation is confirmed on the final day of the season. West Ham go to Elland Road knowing they need a win just to keep alive any chance of staying up, while they also need Tottenham to lose both of their last two games.
Former West Ham scout Mick Brown said it is “inevitable” that Disasi will leave the London Stadium, with the centre-back likely to be snapped up by a Premier League rival this summer. Brown said Leeds have been tracking him since he moved to West Ham and have been impressed by what they have seen.
The interest is not new. Leeds originally lined up a move for Disasi in January before missing out to West Ham, and on 9 May it was revealed they were plotting another approach. He has since remained on their radar as a summer target, with Leeds wanting to strengthen at the back ahead of the transfer window.
Disasi is on loan at West Ham from Chelsea and will return to Stamford Bridge when that spell ends, but his future there is already considered closed. A permanent move away from Chelsea is now expected, and the club are set to be open to offers.
Brown said West Ham have been impressed with the 26-year-old’s impact, crediting him with helping lift the squad during a difficult run. He said Disasi had a bad reputation during his time at Chelsea, and that few clubs were prepared to gamble on him until West Ham offered him the chance to prove himself. “You have to give him credit, he’s gone in there, worked hard, and he’s done everything he can to help turn around their fortunes,” Brown said.
“So he’s done himself a favour as well as West Ham and I’m told they’ve been very impressed with him, he’s picked up the squad and he’s a good influence,” he added. That leaves the defender in a position where his next move may be decided less by West Ham’s fight for survival than by how many clubs move early for him once the season ends.
For Leeds, the appeal is straightforward. Disasi has emerged as a leading target because they want to strengthen at centre-back, and Brown said the fit makes sense for both sides. “Leeds are among those, I believe, because they want to strengthen at the back and he has shown at West Ham that he can make that happen,” he said. “So it would make a lot of sense for that move to happen for him and for Leeds, because I don’t think he’s got any future at Chelsea now.”
If West Ham stay up, the chase may slow. If they go down, Disasi’s exit looks close to inevitable, and Leeds will be among the clubs ready to test that outcome.
