From El Hadji Malick Diouf to Mateus Fernandes, Callum Wilson to Kyle Walker-Peters, the vast majority of West Ham United’s summer signings have had a ‘moment’ to look back on in the opening weeks of the new Premier League season.
Mateus Fernandes was ‘sensational’ against Burnley in West Ham United’s most recent London Stadium display. A swaggering, swashbuckling midfield performance befitting his £40 million price-tag.
Malick Diouf was the first full-back to record three assists across the major European leagues. Kyle Walker-Peters sealed that comeback victory over the Clarets. And Callum Wilson made Premier League history at Bournemouth on Saturday.
The first player in the history of the competition to record two goals in one half without completing a single pass.
Even the maligned Mads Hermansen earned a Save of the Month nomination thanks to an outstanding reflex stop against Tottenham Hotspur.
For Soungoutou Magassa, though, memorable contributions remain few and far between.
And, according to Italian publication Il Mattino, the Frenchman’s lack of recent game time at Nuno Espirito Santo has not gone unnoticed. Napoli have reportedly made a move ‘in recent hours’ to sign Magassa on loan for the second half of the campaign.
Napoli make move for West Ham United’s Soungoutou Magassa move after injury blow
Nottingham Forest and Eintracht Frankfurt tried to hijack West Ham’s £14 million transfer at the end of August. Now, it is Napoli’s turn to dangle a carrot, albeit in rather different circumstances.
Graham Potter convinced Magassa to choose the Hammers over a number of alternative options in the summer. Three months later, the task will fall to director Giovanni Manna and head coach Antonio Conte as Napoli again look to the Premier League for opportunities.
Il Mattino say that the reigning Serie A champions have made an approach for Magassa after losing Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa to injury. One-time Fulham misfit Anguissa could be missing for up to four months with a thigh issue.
Magassa, it should be said, is wanted on loan rather than on a permanent deal.
Nuno Espirito Santo set out his stance on £14m Frenchman
It would be a surprise if West Ham were willing to consider even a temporary proposal though. Hammers News can confirm that Nuno has been ‘seriously impressed’ by Soungoutou Magassa’s performances on the training pitch of late.
And while those eye-catching contributions at Rush Green are yet to really translate into Premier League minutes, a hectic festive schedule should open up opportunities in the very near future.
“The midfielders work hard and they are complementing each other,” Nuno told BBC Sport after Magassa produced a promising cameo in the 3-2 victory over Burnley, a game in which Mateus Fernandes and Freddie Potts excelled.
“Tomas [Soucek] came in, Magassa came in. I think, in the middle of the park, we have a lot of good options and all the boys are doing really well.
“Arriving in the Premier League for any player, it is really difficult to adapt, to show all these things. It takes time. We have a lot of situations like that [of Magassa] with players who we need to be patient with but, at the same time, [we] recognise their quality and the talent is there for us to exploit.
“Magassa had fresh legs, his energy helped the team in the middle of the park. It is about trying to find the combinations we need.”
Magassa explained the big differences between Ligue 1 and the Premier League
By his own admission, Magassa quickly uncovered the challenges of English football when crossing the Channel at the end of the summer window. The size of the crowds, the speed of the game, the France Under-21 international is in an all-new world these days.
Which position do West Ham need to strengthen the most and why? Who is your dream January signing?
“A new league, new opponents that I don’t know, and full stadiums, which isn’t always the case in France,” says Magassa, who swapped an average attendance of 10,000 at the Stade Louis II for the 60,000-capacity London Stadium.
“It’s not the same [as Ligue 1]. There’s more intensity, and there’s more space, but it’s definitely a lot different, as sometimes you think you have the time, but you don’t. Your opponents are really good, whether that’s as individuals or as a collective. It’s a competition that has given me a taste for more.
“It’s harder to play cross-field and diagonally than in Ligue 1. It’s the best league in the world, with the best players and the best teams.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
