West Ham United rejected two late offers for Soungoutou Magassa despite previously appearing open to sanctioning the midfielder’s exit before the transfer deadline.
Ben Jacobs reports that Sevilla saw a loan proposal turned down, while Bologna offered a loan containing a conditional €17million obligation to buy, worth roughly £14.5m. West Ham rejected that approach too.
The decision leaves Nuno Espírito Santo with a significant post-window issue to resolve after Magassa pushed for a move away from London Stadium.
West Ham reject Sevilla and Bologna approaches for Magassa
The latest development represents a notable change from the position reported earlier in the window.
Read West Ham previously reported that Sevilla and Bologna had made concrete offers for Magassa, with Foot Mercato saying both proposals were paid loans containing obligations to buy and that West Ham were receptive to that structure.
However, Jacobs’ Deadline Day update says neither proposal ultimately satisfied West Ham.
Sevilla’s loan offer was rejected, while Bologna’s proposal included a conditional €17m obligation to make the deal permanent.
That is particularly interesting given the Hammers paid an initial fee of around €17m to sign Magassa from Monaco last summer.
The 22-year-old has struggled to establish himself under Nuno this season and had been actively seeking an exit.
West Ham also blocked a late move despite interest from Crystal Palace on Deadline Day.
Nuno now has a Magassa decision to make
Magassa remaining at West Ham creates an interesting situation.
He made 26 appearances during his first season in England but has yet to feature in the Championship this term.
With the English window now closed and two formal European approaches rejected, simply leaving him outside the team for another four months would appear difficult to justify if no further move materialises elsewhere.
That gives Nuno a choice.
Either Magassa must be reintegrated into the promotion squad, or West Ham will continue carrying a valuable young midfielder who clearly wanted more regular football.
Our permanently updated West Ham squad page shows the depth now available following the summer rebuild, but midfield remains one of the areas where Nuno still has decisions to make.
Arne Engels has established himself as a key option, while Edson Álvarez also remained at the club despite uncertainty over his own future.
Magassa’s versatility in midfield and defence could still prove useful across a 46-game Championship campaign.
West Ham have protected their valuation by rejecting deals they did not consider strong enough.
Now Nuno has to find a footballing solution for the player they decided to keep.
