Soungoutou Magassa is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder and centre-back for English Premier League club West Ham United. Early life Soungoutou Magassa was born in Stains, Seine-Saint-Denis, playing football for several Francilian clubs before joining the Monaco academy in 2018. Club career Magassa signed his first professional contract with Monaco in April 2021, choosing them over other high-profile clubs seeking to sign him, including Roma and Milan. He made his professional debut for Monaco on 2 January 2022, replacing Wissam Ben Yedder during a 3–1 Coupe de France away win over Quevilly-Rouen in the round of 32. International career Of Malian descent, Soungoutou Magassa is eligible for both the French and Malian national teams. He was called up to the France U20s for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Style of play Described as a box-to-box midfielder, Magassa is able to play both as a defensive midfielder and a centre-back. Good with both feet, he describes himself as a player good at winning the ball back and finding optimal passing options.