West Ham have reportedly lined up their first summer signing, even though they still do not know which division they will be in next season.
The Hammers face an uphill battle to remain in the Premier League on the final day, as they need to beat Leeds and for Tottenham to lose to Everton.
Either way, planning for the summer transfer window is already underway, with Alpha Toure set to join from Ligue 1 club Metz.
Here is why Toure’s arrival will probably spell bad news for the £17 million signing from last summer, Soungoutou Magassa.
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West Ham may already be correcting Soungoutou Magassa mistake
West Ham signed defensive midfielder Soungoutou Magassa for £17m from Monaco late in the last summer transfer window.
He came off the bench in his first two Premier League appearances before making his first start against Everton in late September.
Magassa quickly became a key player under Nuno Espirito Santo, starting seven of eight league games over five weeks in the winter.
However, the France under-21 international has since found himself predominantly on the bench at the London Stadium.
Although he is only 22 and could still develop, it appears he is not quite good enough to play every week for West Ham.
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That must be the fundamental reason behind the Hammers’ pursuit of a similar player in Metz’s Alpha Toure.
The Senegalese youngster excels at breaking up play in central midfield, and he can also play left-back.
Reports last week suggested West Ham had already agreed a £6 million deal for Toure, which could be finalised anytime soon.
Toure would immediately offer competition to Magassa, signalling that the latter’s £17m signing was likely a mistake.
The Hammers will be hoping they have finally found a suitable replacement for 31-year-old Tomas Soucek, who could depart this summer.
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