West Ham bid £17m for France U21 star who has also attracted interest from Nottingham Forest this summer

West Ham have bid around £17 million including add-ons for Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa.

France U21 international Magassa was the subject of an offer from Nottingham Forest earlier in the window.

The versatile 21-year-old plays predominantly as a holding midfielder but can also operate in a box-to-box role and as a centre back.

Magassa started 16 games for Monaco last season and also featured in the Champions League, gaining valuable experience against elite European opposition.

He was part of France’s squad at the Paris Olympics last summer, coming off the bench in the final as Les Bleus were beaten 5-3 by Spain after extra-time at the Parc des Princes.

That run underlined his growing reputation at international level, having already represented France at U20 and U21 level.

Soungoutou Magassa, pictured (centre) tackling Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard during a pre-season friendly in 2023, has been the subject of a £17m offer from West Ham United

West Ham have made approaches for a number of centre midfielders as they try to strengthen Graham Potter’s squad, with Edson Alvarez close to agreeing a deal to join Fenerbahce on loan, while Guido Rodriguez is a target for Espanyol.

They have already been rebuffed in bids to sign Mateus Fernandes from Southampton, who is valued at £50m, and have also asked about Marc Casado at Barcelona, along with his team-mate right back Hector Fort.

The Hammers are continuing to assess alternatives across Europe, with Rennes’ Djaoui Cisse, Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid and Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber all under consideration.

Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor is another name on their list, as West Ham look to add quality and depth to their midfield before the transfer window closes.