Final member of Enzo Maresca's Chelsea 'bomb squad' completes deadline day transfer to London rivals

The deal, which was in doubt until the final moments of the window, sees the Frenchman move to the London Stadium on loan until the end of the season for a reported fee of £1.7 million, with no option to buy included in the agreement.

The transfer was far from straightforward. Reports indicate that Disasi’s medical had to be rescheduled multiple times on Monday as talks over personal terms dragged on. West Ham were eventually forced to submit a deal sheet to the Premier League, granting them a two-hour extension to finalise the paperwork after the 11pm deadline passed.

For Hammers boss Nuno Espírito Santo, the signing is a vital reinforcement. The Portuguese manager pushed hard for the move, identifying Disasi as the experienced, physical presence needed to shore up a backline that has looked increasingly fragile in recent weeks.

Disasi’s exit marks a symbolic moment for Chelsea, drawing a line under one of the most controversial chapters in the club’s modern history. He is widely regarded as the final senior member of the so-called "bomb squad" to leave the club, a term coined during the tumultuous tenure of former manager Maresca, who exiled a large group of senior players from first-team training in a bid to force them out.

While high-profile names like Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell had already departed, Disasi remained stuck in a state of limbo. Despite a reasonably successful loan spell at Aston Villa last season, he returned to Stamford Bridge only to find himself completely frozen out under the new regime.

The defender spent the first half of this season training away from the first team and turning out for the Under-21s, a situation that had become untenable for a player of his international pedigree. His departure relieves a significant wage burden for Chelsea and offers the player a chance to reignite a career that stalled alarmingly after his £38m move from Monaco in 2023.

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There is a distinct irony in the fact that Disasi’s move was precipitated by Chelsea’s own victory over West Ham just days earlier. The Hammers’ defensive crisis deepened during their 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, where Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off, earning a three-match ban.

With Todibo suspended and Nuno reportedly having "little faith" in Max Kilman, West Ham were left desperately short of options at centre-back. The urgency of the situation forced the East London club to scramble for a solution, eventually settling on Disasi after Southampton refused to sanction a move for Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Disasi will now be tasked with immediately plugging that gap. Nuno will hope that the Frenchman, who is eligible to make his debut against Burnley this Saturday, can rediscover the form he showed at Villa Park rather than the inconsistencies that plagued his early Chelsea career.

Disasi’s exit was facilitated by a broader reshuffle of Chelsea’s defensive resources involving their sister club, Strasbourg. To ensure they were not left short at the back, Chelsea have recalled the highly-rated Mamadou Sarr from his loan in Ligue 1.

The return of Sarr is a significant vote of confidence from Blues manager Liam Rosenior, who worked with the 20-year-old closely during his own time in France. Rosenior views the Senegal defender as a better fit for his system than Disasi and wanted him integrated into the first-team squad immediately.

The complex web of BlueCo transactions also saw Aaron Anselmino recalled from his loan at Borussia Dortmund, only to be immediately sent to Strasbourg to fill the void left by Sarr. With the "bomb squad" finally cleared and the squad refreshed with younger talent, Chelsea believe they have finished the window stronger than they started it.