Why £25m Axel Disasi deal would be West Ham’s Ruben Neves moment
If the fish rots from the head – as the old saying goes – then the decapitation of West Ham United’s old ownership group could save the club from decomposing further.
Optimism abounds under Daniel Kretinsky. It has only been a few weeks since Kretinsky increased his share to 43 per cent – the Czech sphinx overtakes departed chairman David Sullivan on 37 per cent – but West Ham United already feel like a more modern, forward-thinking, ambitious institution.
Less a rotting fish, more of a sleeping giant waiting for the alarm to go off.
How would you feel if Kretinsky brought Disasi BACK to West Ham? 🇫🇷
A Chelsea source thinks the return is possible…
When relegation was confirmed, if any supporter expressed their belief that Axel Disasi would return to the London Stadium, you would question if the glass was merely half-full or spiked with some sort of powerful hallucinogenic.
Now, as Kretinsky prepares to invest a further £100 million in order to rebuild Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad – as new Director of Player Recruitment Nils Koppen talks about the need to find players capable of leading West Ham out of the Championship and consolidating them again in the Premier League – a Disasi homecoming no longer feels quite so fanciful.
Chelsea source thinks Axel Disasi could return to West Ham United
According to Chelsea source Simon Phillips, West Ham have a £25 million fee all-but agreed with their London rivals. And while Disasi is yet to make a decision – one suspects he will have plenty of offers in the top-flight and abroad – it feels telling that he has not turned them down either.
As second-tier additions go, this would arguably be the biggest statement of intent since Nuno’s Wolves stunned English and European football by bringing Ruben Neves to Molineux in 2017.
It is hard to imagine now, but there was once a time when Fosun International were hugely-popular in the Black Country.
Wolves relegation in 2025/26 was littered with protests against a seemingly disinterested ownership group. Nearly a decade prior, the perspective was very different.
Fosun left no one in any doubt as to the extent of their ambitions, and the depth of their pockets, when bringing Neves to Wolves from Champions League Porto for a second-tier record fee of £16 million.
There would be shades of that if Disasi returned to join the club he represented impeccably during a loan spell from February to June.
Kretinsky joined the board in 2021, but this is his first summer as the man calling the shots. The Czech billionaire has the money, and the ambition, to ensure his bite is as strong as his bark.
If reports are correct and West Ham are ready to spend £25 million, Disasi would become the new record signing in the Championship. Pushing Neves down to fourth in the process; Ipswich winger Sindre Walle Egeli and Burnley misfit Mike Tresor joining Disasi on the podium.
Disasi loved his time under Nuno Espirito Santo in East London
It is not only the price tag that would send shockwaves through the division, from Southampton to the Steel City of Sheffield. Disasi is a France international with experience in the Champions League. Not only that, Disasi was one of the top-performing centre-backs in the Premier League in the first half 2026.
There are many reasons why West Ham are currently a Championship club. He certainly wasn’t one of them.
“(Disasi) has been a revelation since he’s come to West Ham,” former Upton Park boss Pardew told talkSPORT of a defender who kept six clean sheets in 14 appearances under Nuno.
“I think he’s brought a kind of aggression to that back four that was lacking. Set plays, he’s quite dominant. And I think he’s brought the other fella (Konstantinos Mavropanos) to life.”
If Disasi could restrict Erling Haaland to a watching brief, imagine how dominant he could be against Tommy Conway, Mihailo Ivanovic and Luca Kjerrumgaard.
Can you spot anything interesting as West Ham return for pre-season?
Taty returns, Nuno chats with Bowen, and a couple of youngsters make an appearance
According to The Athletic, Disasi struck up a close bond with Nuno in East London. The love he received at West Ham was a welcome change from the cold shoulder of Cobham.
“So far, it’s been really nice,” said a man frozen out by Chelsea, speaking on the Ironcast podcast in February. “As you know, my situation before was a little bit crazy. So, for me, it is only positive to be here.
It feels great to be part of something and to be in the group. The way the staff and the team have welcomed me… honestly, thank you to everyone.
“I feel I am in the right place. It feels like a family, and I love feeling that. Honestly, I’m good.”
Back in 2017/18, Nuno’s Wolves stormed to the Championship title with a midfielder of genuine Champions League quality pulling the strings.
If Kretinsky succeeds in bringing Disasi back, you’d be a brave man betting against Nuno doing something very similar nine years on.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
