West Ham United could go head-to-head with a very familiar face in Saturday’s Premier League opener after Sunderland made the shock decision to bring Arthur Masuaku back to English football.
Two years after the Hammers accepted a £2 million bid from Besiktas, the former London Stadium cult hero is back on British soil.
Last season’s play-off champions Sunderland made Masuaku their tenth signing of a hectic summer.
As such, when Graham Potter’s West Ham United travel to Wearside looking to kick off the new campaign with three early points, the addition of a man fondly dubbed ‘King Arthur’ by the Hammers faithful adds another plot point to an already intriguing fixture.
Arthur Masuaku speaks out ahead of Sunderland debut against West Ham United
Masuaku was let go by Besiktas despite a career-best season in terms of assists during 2024/25. He reached double figures across all competitions. Ten, in total, from 47 appearances.
And two years after Masuaku bid an emotional farewell to West Ham – he always felt ‘loved’ in claret and blue, despite a fair few defensive lapses – the 31-year-old DR Congo international can expect a rousing pre-match reception from the supporters who recall with great fondness his bizarre winner against bitter rivals Chelsea a few seasons back.
When quizzed by the official Sunderland media channels about a potential Black Cats debut against his old employers, meanwhile, Masuaku was in rather philosophical mood.
“Life is strange,” he muses.
“To be able to play against my former team, the first game coming back to the Premier League, it’s going to be nice. I think the atmosphere will be crazy.
“I remember, back in 2016, I played in Sunderland’s stadium and it was amazing. So, I believe to be back in the Premier League, first game of the season, it’s going to be massive.
“I will give 100 per cent. It’s the least you can do as a player,” the former Olympiakos left-back adds, his comments a reflection of the character many West Ham fans grew to adore. “I like to go forward, I am attack-minded.
“I like to go forward and try to bring something to the team, and defend my goal as much as I can. I like to dribble a lot [too].”
Kristjaan Speakman explains Masuaku signing as El Hadji Malick Diouf prepares for his own debut
At the age of 31, and returning to England looking to add to a tally of 105 Premier League appearances, Masuaku is another experienced, so-called ‘proven’ addition to a Sunderland side whose promotion success was built upon a youthful foundation of fresh-faced talent.
“Arthur’s a player with considerable Premier League experience and a different profile to enhance our squad,” explains director Kristjaan Speakman. “He is eager to share his knowledge and experiences with the group, and this benefits the environment we are continuing to build.
“We are delighted to have secured him, and we will get to work immediately to integrate him into our squad, so he can make a positive impact as quickly as possible.”
Speakman’s comments certainly suggest that a Sunderland debut could be on the cards as early as Saturday afternoon. On the other side, El Hadji Malick Diouf could feature for the first time in a competitive sense as a West Ham United player.
Hammers legend Tony Cottee was reminded of David Beckham when watching Diouf swing in a handful of devilish, albeit left-footed crosses during last week’s 2-0 pre-season victory over AFC Bournemouth in Atlanta.
In particular, Niclas Fullkrug cannot wait to latch onto Diouf’s deadly deliveries on the Premier League stage.
“The first day, [Diouf] came to me and said; ‘I saw some videos of you. You were in between the defenders and you go to the first post, and I tried to find you [in that position]’,” Fullkrug beamed after playing alongside the £19 million acquisition for the first time in July.
“I love it! This is what you need as a striker, you need players to assist for you.
“It’s so difficult [to defend crosses], even if no one is in the box it is difficult. For me, it is a very nice option to score goals. I’m very thankful that we’ve got a player like him.”
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