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Report: West Ham face potential Soungoutou Magassa disaster, £14m deal suffers late hitch after …

After that Carabao Cup collapse at Molineux saw West Ham United’s dismal start take another turn for the worse, missing out on Soungoutou Magassa at the eleventh hour may be one disappointment too far.

Just like against Chelsea four days earlier, those defensive deficiencies ensured that a brilliantly-taken Lucas Paqueta finish would go to waste.

West Ham United turned a 1-0 lead into a 5-1 deficit in the space of 43 minutes against Enzo Maresca’s rampant side. Supersub Jorgen Strand Larsen struck twice in four, meanwhile, as Graham Potter’s wait for a first win of 2025/26 drags on.

A silver lining was, though, the seemingly-inevitable arrival of one of France’s brightest young talents. West Ham moved within touching distance of Soungoutou Magassa a few hours before kick-off in Wolverhampton.

Now, missing out on a footballer who has already passed a medical would be another rock bottom moment for a club who must have felt there was nowhere left to dig.

But according to French publication Foot Mercato, with Eintracht Frankfurt leaving their attempted hijack until the very last moment, could West Ham’s pursuit of Magassa yet go the same way as their precarious one-goal lead at Molineux?

West Ham United target Soungoutou Magassa during AS Monaco v FC Internazionale - Pre-Season Friendly

Photo by Neal Simpson/Allstar/Getty Images

Eintracht Frankfurt try to ruin West Ham United’s Soungoutou Magassa deal

Magassa reportedly turned down Nottingham Forest in favour of joining Graham Potter’s side.

If the Hammers survived that scare – Forest can offer European football, after all, as well as a spot in a far stronger squad – then this would be the worst possible time for fortune to turn against them.

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Foot Mercato report that West Ham agreed an initial £14 million fee, rising to £17 million, with Monaco. Not only that, Magassa has passed his medical with the London Stadium outfit as of Wednesday afternoon.

Eintracht Frankfurt may have left it too late, then. Or, at least, that is what West Ham will be hoping. Because the report adds that, despite Magassa being ‘on the verge’ of joining the claret and blue club, he is now ‘tempted’ to join Frankfurt instead.

The 2023 Europa League champions have submitted a loan offer to Monaco, with an obligation-to-buy clause included. West Ham may still have the advantage, however, having offered a greater up-front sum.

Still, this is late drama Potter and co really could have done without.

West Ham head coach Graham Potter in the dugout before the pre-season clash with Lille

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Dean Ashton hopes West Ham land Magassa after Wolves expose midfield weaknesses

Monaco’s sporting director Thiago Scuro hinted over the weekend that Soungoutou Magassa is likely to leave the Ligue 1 giants.

Rather than cash in on captain Denis Zakaria – a Saudi Arabian club offered £34 million for the one-time Chelsea loanee – Les Monegasques have opted to let the younger, but potentially more replaceable Magassa pursue a new challenge.

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton believes Magassa will aid Graham Potter in his attempts to add some much-needed intensity both on and off the ball.

And, having failed to secure so many of their other midfield targets this summer, the France Under-21 international feels like one they cannot afford to let slip through the fingers so late in the day.

“The team and especially the defence look massively exposed [due to] a lack of athleticism, aggression, desire…” Ashton told talkSPORT.

“I think Magassa is possibly coming in. They need athleticism and hopefully he can bring part of that, but they need two or three more.”

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