{"id":4534,"date":"2026-05-06T00:35:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T00:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=4534"},"modified":"2026-05-06T00:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T00:35:25","slug":"stats-suggest-west-ham-might-have-found-axel-disasi-upgrade-in-moustapa-mbow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=4534","title":{"rendered":"Stats suggest West Ham might have found Axel Disasi upgrade in Moustapa Mbow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"post-315032\">\n<div class=\"article-follow\">\n<div class=\"article-sharing google-follow\">  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hammers.news\/wp-content\/themes\/grv-media\/img\/google-discover.svg\" alt=\"\"\/> <span>Add as preferred source on Google<\/span>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>West Ham United are right to be wary about putting all their eggs in the Axel Disasi basket, especially following the latest round of Premier League fixtures.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hammers News <\/strong>reported last week that Nuno has identified Manchester City\u2019s Nathan Ake as an alternative should a permanent deal for the France international prove impossible.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-grvmedia-grv-video GRVMultiVideo\"\/>\n<p>Axel Disasi will turn 29 next year. West Ham United are understandably determined not to be held to ransom either by Chelsea \u2013 who will hope to recoup as much of their \u00a338 million investment as possible \u2013 or by a 28-year-old defender who earns \u00a380,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n<section class=\"grv-talking-point\" data-trigger=\"vue-sidebar\" data-story-id=\"e06b4854-7115-49f1-badf-73898ad47276\" data-story-name=\"Axel Disasi\" data-comment-id=\"6d6ab6fd-3483-44f8-ae50-9a34726e7e55\" data-story-slug=\"axel-disasi\">\n<div class=\"grv-talking-point__inner\">\n<header class=\"grv-talking-point__header\">  <\/header>\n<div class=\"grv-talking-point__content\">\n<div class=\"grv-talking-point__cta\">\n<div class=\"grv-talking-point__title-wrap\">\n<p><h3 class=\"grv-talking-point__title\">They say never fall in love with a loan player, but we\u2019ve all done it before \ud83d\ude02<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grv-talking-point__embed\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 991px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic asking West Ham United fans when they last loved a loan player as much as Axel Disasi.\" class=\"wp-image-303801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-912x1140.jpg 912w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/03\/HN-77.jpg 1080w\"\/><\/div><figcaption title=\"Credit; Getty Images\/Izzy Poles - AMA\">Credit; Getty Images\/Izzy Poles \u2013 AMA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Furthermore, considering that Disasi has not given up hope of forcing his way back into the France squad, it can be taken as a given that he will not be sticking around in the Championship, regardless of how much he has enjoyed his time in East London.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the aforementioned Ake, who will also have serious reservations about dropping down to the second tier, Moustapha Mbow of Paris FC is another to keep a close eye on. <\/p>\n<p>Per RMC Sport, West Ham have submitted a \u2018significant\u2019 offer to sign Mbow already, alongside London rivals Crystal Palace and Fulham, perhaps in the hope that he would be more up for the idea of joining regardless of which division the Hammers find themselves in.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-west-ham-united-are-keen-on-paris-fc-defender-moustapha-mbow\">West Ham United are keen on Paris FC defender Moustapha Mbow<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 991px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Moustapha Mbow of Paris FC walks in the field during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Lyon and Paris FC at Groupama Stadium\" class=\"wp-image-314992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265013511-750x500.jpg 750w\"\/><\/div><figcaption title=\"LYON, FRANCE - MARCH 8: Moustapha Mbow of Paris FC walks in the field during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Lyon and Paris FC at Groupama Stadium on March 8, 2026 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Lilou Cassin\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)\">Photo by Lilou Cassin\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alongside his Ligue 1 upbringing and his giant, 6ft 4ins-frame, Mbow shares a few more things in common with Axel Disasi. <\/p>\n<p>The glowing praise afforded to him by Paris FC coach Antoine Kombouare highlights the similarities of both players, from Mbow\u2019s fierce desire to block all efforts coming his way to his natural-born leadership skills and his two-footed passing range.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s the kind of defender I like a lot. A good defender is someone who defends and loves doing it,\u201d Kombouare told L\u2019Equipe recently.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_e07b8ff5c9b3f921-26\">\u201cI appreciate his ease with both feet. Although he is right-footed, he is very comfortable playing on the left side of the central defence, which is a great strength for our build-up play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Funnily enough, this is exactly the role Disasi has been playing at West Ham. A right-footer playing on the left of the centre-back duo, and thriving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s someone who sees the game, who organises from the back. He can bring the group back together when we get a little scattered. He deserves this (captain\u2019s) armband because of his performance and dedication.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mbow-stacks-up-very-well-against-chelsea-loanee-axel-disasi\">Mbow stacks up very well against Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi<\/h2>\n<p>Kombouare feels that the late-blooming Mbow \u2013 26 and playing regular top-flight football for the first time \u2013 still has work to do regarding his \u2018concentration. He needs to stay focused for 90 minutes\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>But if West Ham are looking for an aerially dominant, physically imposing, two-footed centre-half to potentially replace Disasi, Mbow looks a good bet. He has started 29 of Paris FC\u2019s 32 Ligue 1 matches, keeping eight clean sheets along the way. <\/p>\n<p>A solid defensive record has been the key to securing their top-flight status under Kombouare, who was parachuted in three months ago and immediately took a liking to the giant defender.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-getty-images-media\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"716\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 991px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-1024x716.jpg\" alt=\"Moustapha Mbow - TOPSHOT-FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-PARIS FC-LILLE\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-1024x716.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-768x537.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-1140x797.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272714309-750x525.jpg 750w\"\/><\/div><figcaption title=\"TOPSHOT - Lille's French forward #09 Olivier Giroud (C) reacts as he is tackled by Paris FC's Senegalese defender #05 Moustapha Mbow (L) during the French L1 football match between Paris FC and LOSC Lille at the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris, on April 26, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE \/ AFP via Getty Images)\">Photo by FRANCK FIFE \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Stats site Data MB shows that Mbow also ranks far higher than Disasi in a number of different areas. Disasi wins more \u2018defensive duels\u2019, but Mbow sits higher when it comes to \u2018aerial duels\u2019 and \u2018possessions won\u2019, as well as \u2018progressive passes\u2019 and \u2018progressive carries\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>He is, it seems, someone who combines the on-the-ball elegance of Jean-Clair Todibo with the physical qualities of a Konstantinos Mavropanos.<\/p>\n<p>It remains to be seen how \u2018significant\u2019 West Ham\u2019s alleged offer really is. If Mbow proves to be every bit as influential as Disasi, then any fee the Hammers pay will be worth it. <\/p>\n<div class=\"see-more-wrapper lazy see-more-open see-more-blank extra-content\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hammers.news\/columnist\/stats-suggest-west-ham-might-have-found-axel-disasi-upgrade-in-moustapa-mbow\/none\" data-type=\"subscribe\">\n<div class=\"see-more subscribe\">\n<figure class=\"newsletter\">\n<div><svg class=\"loading\" width=\"118\" height=\"36\" viewbox=\"0 0 118 36\"><use href=\"#dots-svg\"\/><\/svg><\/p>\n<div class=\"signup\"><span class=\"hf\">Join Our Newsletter<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script>grvLoadAnalytics = () => {(function(d,s,i){var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)(0),j=d.createElement(s);j.async=true;j.src=\"https:\/\/www.googletagmanager.com\/gtag\/js?id=\"+i;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(document,'script','G-YXV2JYYXJC');(function(d,s,i){if(!\/callback=in\/.test(window.location.search)){var e=d.createElement(s);var n=d.getElementsByTagName(s)(0);e.type=\"text\/javascript\";e.async=true;e.src=\"https:\/\/static.chartbeat.com\/js\/chartbeat.js\";n.parentNode.insertBefore(e,n);}})(document,\"script\",\"G-YXV2JYYXJC\");(function(){let s=document.createElement(\"script\");s.async=true;s.dataset.domain=\"hammers.news\/9EBwb0\";s.src=\"https:\/\/api.publytics.net\/js\/script.manual.ping.min.js\";document.getElementsByTagName(\"head\")(0).appendChild(s);})();if(!\/callback=in\/.test(window.location.search)){setTimeout(function(){!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');fbq('init','1190605555050698');fbq('track','PageView');fbq('track','ViewContent',{content_name:'Stats suggest West Ham might have found Axel Disasi upgrade in Moustapa Mbow',content_category:'Opinion',content_ids:(315032,\"axel-disasi\",\"axel-disasi-2\",\"ligue-1\",\"premier-league\"),content_type:'post',});},3000);}}<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Add as preferred source on Google West Ham United are right to be wary about&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}