West Ham reject January loan – Hammers want €17m permanent transfer

On Tuesday, Il Mattino reported Napoli have attempted a loan move for West Ham’s Soungoutou Magassa.

The Frenchman’s lack of game time was attracting the attention of Antonio Conte’s side, who need a midfielder. Today’s Il Mattino – relayed by CalcioNapoli24, go into more detail about the West Ham player’s situation.

Napoli remain optimistic about signing Kobbie Mainoo, but Magassa is seen as an effective Plan B.

The Naples newspaper report Napoli have already ‘made their move’ for the 22-year-old. This is likely a reference to their previous claim about a loan approach.

West Ham have now issued a response to this move and they want a permanent sale at €17m. That’s what they paid Monaco in the summer.

To improve their midfield, the Italian champions’ owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has set aside €50m. A decision is yet to be made about whether they will sign two midfielders or one. Magassa is a definite target, though.

The France U21s international has made only six Premier League appearances for West Ham. He has previously made a mark in the Champions League for Monaco, which could be one reason Napoli are interested.