West Ham submits €17m bid for Monaco midfielder Magassa, rejected

West Ham has submitted a bid of around £17 million (€16 million plus €3 million in bonuses) for AS Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa, a versatile 21-year-old France U21 international who primarily plays as a holding midfielder. Despite the offer, Monaco has rejected it, and West Ham plans to submit an improved bid as they seek to strengthen their midfield options following the loan departure of Edson Alvarez. Magassa, who has 31 appearances last season and experience in the Champions League and Paris Olympics, is seen as a player who can add energy and depth to West Ham's midfield, which was exposed in a recent heavy defeat to Sunderland. The club is also pursuing other midfield targets, including Southampton's Mateus Fernandes and has shown interest in players from Barcelona, Rennes, and Ajax, with manager Graham Potter emphasizing the need to recruit the right profile rather than rush decisions. West Ham's transfer activity this summer has been more cautious compared to last year due to financial constraints, but the club aims to finalize key additions before the window closes. The bid for Magassa is part of West Ham's broader effort to overhaul their midfield and improve squad quality ahead of upcoming fixtures.