When West Ham could confirm Soungoutou Magassa signing after £17m fee agreed
West Ham are hoping that Soungoutou Magassa will be the first of many signings to turn around their poor transfer window.
The Monaco midfielder has been making progress towards joining the Hammers after Edson Alvarez departed for Fenerbahce.
Magassa, 21, has become a regular in France over the last two seasons and would significantly boost a thinning West Ham midfield.
Graham Potter needs players in as soon as possible, with the fixtures not getting any easier as they visit Nottingham Forest next time out in the Premier League.
Soungoutou Magassa could join by the middle of the week
Potter is under pressure at West Ham after losing their opening two games by a combined score of 8-1.
With Lucas Paqueta having one eye on the exit door, it’s not a surprise to see the Hammers finally accelerating their transfer plans.
They have reportedly bid for seven different players, one of which is Magassa.
- Mangassa can also play centre back
- He has represented France at the U20, U21, and Olympic levels. He played for the France U21 team in the U21 European Championship
- He is described as a box-to-box midfielder
According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs on X, West Ham are close to signing Magassa.
The Hammers will pay an initial £17million and the Frenchman is expected to sign by the middle of the week.
He is likely to complete his move on 27 August or 28 August, which would make him available for their next top-flight game with Nottingham Forest.
Despite Magassa being fresh to West Ham, Potter could elect to start him against Forest, given his lack of options in midfield.
How does Mangassa and Edson Alvarez compare?
Alvarez played a deeper role last season, which is similar to the way Mangassa plays.
| Mangassa | Player | Alvarez |
| 82% | Passing accuracy | 86% |
| 4.7 | Progressive passes | 4.1 |
| 1 | Assists | 1 |
The Mexican only managed 20 starts in the Premier League, and Mangassa’s consistency makes the swap make sense.
Both players are good at retaining possession, but the Frenchman has a more natural instinct to block attempted throughballs and protect the defence.
He is unlikely to cause issues in attack, but after conceding eight in two games, his defensive attributes will be welcomed.
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