The real reason Soungoutou Magassa is out of West Ham squad as Champions League side hold 'concrete interest'

West Ham are looking to strengthen in the centre of the park this January but the London outfit may also face a battle to keep hold of current players while brokering deals for new arrivals.

At the start of the window, the Hammers had a new forward and a new centre-back earmarked as priorities. Taty Castellanos and Pablo have bolstered attacking options with work still ongoing when it comes to defensive targets.

However, given the dismal first half of the Premier League season, West Ham could also look to recruit a new midfielder and a new goalkeeper too. Feyenoord star Quinten Timber had been a top target in midfield but now looks set to be signing for Marseille.

West Ham incomings and outgoings in midfield

It’s been a dramatic couple of weeks in midfield position for West Ham with playmaker Lucas Paqueta supposedly forcing his way out of the club, despite insistence from the London Stadium that his absence is due to injury. James Ward-Prowse has also been linked with a move to relegation rivals Burnley.

Another player who was nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad that beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday was Soungoutou Magassa. The 22-year-old was signed by West Ham from Monaco on a £17 million deal last summer.

Magassa has shown moments of promise this season, despite looking a little wet behind the ears in certain fixtures. The player’s absence from the squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the first time he has missed a game since arriving at the club.

Soungoutou Magassa absence against Spurs explained

It comes at a time when Foot Mercato report that Galatasaray have shown a ‘concrete interest’ in signing the player despite his recent arrival at the London Stadium. It’s touted that an initial loan deal could be on the cards ahead of a potential permanent summer move - AC Milan and Juventus are also named as suitors.

Magassa is a player signed by Graham Potter, rather than Nuno, and that could add weight to talk of a quickfire sale. However, the trusted ExWHUEmployee has confirmed that the midfielder’s absence against Spurs was not down to transfer talk.

Instead, Magassa was left out of the side due to a small injury concern. The player, who came off after 70 minutes in the FA Cup win over QPR, is expected to be fit enough to face Sunderland at home on Saturday lunchtime.

In other news, 'Deal Agreed': West Ham finalise £39m transfer exit after contract breakthrough.