West Ham fans believe Soungoutou Magassa has a big future in the game but it seems that could well be elsewhere if the Hammers are relegated.
When Gary Neville described Soungoutou Magassa as a ‘midfield destroyer’ it was confirmation of what most West Ham fans had been thinking – the club had pulled off a real coup.
Magassa arrived from Monaco in the summer for just £17m having been identified by West Ham’s top talent spotter Max Hahn.
There have been inconsistencies in some of Magassa’s performances which have seen him dip in and out of the team under Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham star Magassa says Premier League is the place for him
That is to be expected from a 22-year-old midfielder playing his first season in the Premier League.
His age is a big reason why many West Ham fans felt he could be one the club hold onto if they do drop into the Championship.
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Soungoutou Magassa of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Fulham at London Stadium on December 27, 2025 in London, England.
The powerful ace would undoubtedly boss that division and give the Hammers a great chance of bouncing straight back to the top flight.
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But Magassa has now hinted relegation may force him to leave West Ham.
Soungoutou Magassa celebrates during Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
The Frenchman was not discussing his Hammers future directly in a lengthy new interview on the club’s official website – which made it clear West Ham beat off interest from several clubs in Europe’s big leagues.
However, Magassa has made it abundantly clear he only sees himself playing in the Premier League – piling pressure on West Ham’s fight for survival if they want to keep him.
The humble star has made it clear he knows he needs to improve on aspects of his game, but insists that will be playing against the best in the best league in the world.
“The Premier League is a different challenge to French Ligue 1,” Magassa said.
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It’s physical, tactical and when you make a mistake, it’s a goal directly. Every player is strong, fast, physical and technical. It’s another world.
“For me, I need to improve again. I like to play against big teams and big players. It’s a big league with good atmospheres, good stadiums and great players, and I like to be part of it.”
Magassa knows what he wants and has international ambitions with France too having played throughout Les Bleus’ youth sides.
Soungoutou Magassa and Axel Disasi celebrate after West Ham United beat Brentford in the FA Cup.
Photo by Izzy Poles – AMA/Getty Images
Despite the in and out nature of his time at West Ham, Nuno has made it clear what he thinks of Magassa.
Speaking earlier this season, the Portuguese said Magassa will be an important player for the Hammers and that patience is needed.
“Arriving to the Premier League for any player is really difficult to adapt, to show all these things, it takes time,” Nuno said when asked if Magassa needs to be drip-fed into English football as he adjusts.
“We have a lot of situations like that (of Magassa) with players who we need to be patient with but at the same time to recognise their quality and talent is there for us to exploit.”
Magassa has been restricted to coming on in the second half of matches of late.
Whether he sticks around next season appears to depend very much on West Ham’s Premier League fate.
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