In the waning days of August in 2025, West Ham announced the signing of French midfielder Soungoutou Magassa from Monaco for around 20 million pounds. It was an exciting moment, one full of real promise. For most of 2025-26, though, that initial thrill was only matched in fits and starts on the pitch. There were certainly some moments of real quality. Magassa’s equalizing goal against Manchester United in December really stands out. But on the surface, the midfielder was mostly a peripheral figure last season. By the time the Hammers were relegated, he had all but fallen out of Nuno Espírito Santo’s rotation entirely.
Why, then, are fans and myself included, bullish on the player’s prospects next year? Will the coming months be career trajectory-altering for the 22-year-old? Will advances from reportedly interested clubs like Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt be rebuffed? Should we expect 2026-27 to be the season Soungoutou Magassa arrives?
How did Magassa get here?
It’s important to take into account Magassa’s pre-Irons form when analyzing his skillset. Although he made his official debut for Monaco in 2022, the six-foot-two star really broke out in 2023-24, playing on the left side of a back three under the progressive stewardship of Adi Hutter. That season, a 20-year-old Magassa gained a reputation as an adventurous defender, not afraid to step out of the backline to win the ball back high up the pitch, beat a man on the dribble, or even whip in a cross or two. He was an active but mildly inefficient 1v1 defender, with a tendency to let himself get dragged out of position. Nonetheless, his game proved effective enough for his team; that year, Magassa started nearly half of Monaco’s games as Les Rouge et Blanc finished second in Ligue 1.
In the summertime, Monaco’s stellar defensive midfielder Youssouf Fofana was pried away from them by AC Milan. Amidst the loss, Adi Hutter saw an internal opportunity; recognizing Magassa’s unique skillset, he decided to move the player higher up the pitch in 2024-25, starting the future Hammer on the left side of a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. And Magassa thrived in the role, establishing himself as an imposing midfield destroyer and powerful runner from deep. That season, he recovered the ball nearly eight times per 90 minutes (in the top 5% of all Ligue 1 central midfielders), with an efficiency of over 50%. He also averaged nearly 1.5 successful dribbles per 90 minutes on a whopping 71% efficiency (both in the top 15% of Ligue 1 central midfielders), and was a serviceable passer to boot. In the Champions League, his dribbling numbers took a hit, but the ball-winning stats stayed true; he even got on the scoresheet in a tight loss to Benfica.
By the time Magassa arrived in London, he had been a first-team regular in two successive top-3 league finishes, had thrived in two distinct tactical roles, and had both Champions League and high-level French youth international experience. 20 million was, frankly, a snip.
West Ham in 2025-26 were, it must be admitted, a bit of a basket case. It’s entirely possible that Magassa, in his first year of adjusting to the English game, was affected by external factors, by the chaos around him, by managerial turnover and a general atmosphere of instability. Therefore, as West Ham begin to look more focused, Magassa may look sharper, too. That player of old is still in there somewhere, ready to be unlocked.
What's next for Magassa?
So what could Magassa achieve next year? It is, of course, dependent on two factors: Nuno’s willingness to sell him, and his willingness to play him. But if the former is low and the latter is high, Magassa could be a cornerstone of West Ham’s first Championship campaign since 2011-12.
Nuno Espírito Santo mainly utilized a back four last year, but was also willing to switch to a three in matches where West Ham were coming up against sides with great attacking potency; in his one season spent in the Championship (during his time with Wolves nearly 10 years ago), he was also partial to three-at-the-back formations, as his side put together one of the greatest single second-tier seasons in modern memory. So what will Nuno decide upon for next year? We really don't know where Nuno is leaning, but the pre-season might give us an indication.
The good news is, no matter which way the Portuguese gaffer leans, Magassa will be a good fit. On the left side of a back three, Magassa could revisit his swashbuckling tendencies of 2023-24 against weaker opposition, causing chaos in central zones and creating overloads deep in the half spaces for the Hammers. If Nuno has fears about this adventurousness, the risks could be offset by a more conservative central center-back, or two deep-lying midfielders, allowing Magassa to roam unfettered. Given his height, the Frenchman would also prove valuable in both attacking and defensive set-piece scenarios.
Magassa would delight in midfield as well. If Nuno chooses to maintain his system from last year, Magassa could slot in as a more mobile, more defensively active version of Tomas Soucek deep in the middle of the pitch (although he’d probably not be as much of a goal threat). Next to a more overtly designated progressive passer, he’d flourish in a play-breaking role, shielding the backline and ball-carrying his way out of trouble when necessary. His profile is one that is tried and tested at the Championship level; just last year, Southampton’s Shea Charles, Preston’s Benjamin Whiteman, and Oxford’s Brian De Keersmaecker (among others) all excelled as lanky shields with progressive quirks in midfield.
While Nuno has used Magassa sparingly n the past it’s time to lean into his defensive capabilities. It would be a huge mistake to cash in on such a versatile talent now; for the Irons, there could be a star, already in their ranks, shining just around the corner.
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