Axel Disasi says emotional pull to Monaco led him to turn down West Ham and Bournemouth loans

Axel Disasi has revealed he rejected loan offers from West Ham and Bournemouth this summer because he wanted to return to Monaco, leaving the Chelsea centre-back likely to spend the next four months on the sidelines.

Disasi, who joined Chelsea from Monaco for £38.5 million in 2023, said the approach from his former club hit him "emotionally" and prompted him to push for a move back to the Ligue 1 side. Chelsea placed the 27-year-old in what manager Enzo Maresca described as a three-man "bomb squad" alongside Raheem Sterling and David Datro Fofana after the close of the transfer window.

"In the period between the approaches from Bournemouth and West Ham, Monaco arrived and that hit me emotionally," Disasi told French outlet La Media Carré. "I had three incredible years at Monaco. When they came in, all the memories came back. Monaco is home. I hoped that Chelsea would find a solution to allow me to leave on loan. I pushed until the last minute to go to Monaco."

Chelsea signed Disasi on a five-year deal that runs until 2027. He has been capped five times by France. After a short-term loan to Aston Villa in January, Disasi anticipated limited opportunities at Stamford Bridge under Maresca and sought another temporary move this summer. West Ham instead brought in Brighton's Igor Julio, and Bournemouth were also reportedly rebuffed.

Because Chelsea left Disasi out of both their Premier League and Champions League squads, he is not eligible to play for the club in those competitions until at least the January window, when a loan away may again be possible. The turn-downs mean he will likely spend several months training away from first-team match action.

The three-man exile group at Chelsea has drawn attention because of the profile of the players involved and their respective contracts. Sterling joined Chelsea in 2022 on a deal reportedly worth £325,000 per week and remains under contract, with reports suggesting he is reluctant to relocate his family and has not yet agreed to a move. Fofana has also been included in the squad of players sidelined by the club after the transfer window.

Chelsea's recruitment under the ownership group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital has seen significant turnover, and a number of players have struggled to secure regular first-team roles since Enzo Maresca took charge. Those dynamics contributed to several short-term moves and loan attempts during the summer as players and the club sought solutions.

On the pitch, Chelsea sit second in the Premier League behind reigning champions Liverpool and travel to Brentford next, while Disasi remains unavailable for league and Champions League selection. The defender will now wait for the January transfer window in the hope that a loan back to Monaco or another club can be arranged.

Chelsea did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Disasi's statement to La Media Carré was the most detailed public explanation to date of why he rejected the offers from West Ham and Bournemouth during the summer.

He faces the practical challenge of limited competitive action until a move is secured, a situation that will be monitored by Monaco, Chelsea and national team selectors ahead of any potential January transfer and with an eye on his future role at club and international level.