Will West Ham United’s midfield be rebuilt at the end of this transfer window?
In previous Premier Leagues, Hammer was destroyed 3-0 by Sunderland at Wright’s Stadium, then 5-1 Chelsea visited London Stadium.
In the latter, Tomas Soucek and James Ward Prowse’s mid-Irons pairing was completely overrun by the duo of Chelsea Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caesedo.
It is therefore not surprising that Graham Potter has prioritized midfield reinforcements since his unfortunate defeat.
West Ham’s midfield reconstruction
On Friday, West Ham signed two new midfielders, not one.
First, Mateus Fernandez arrived from Southampton £38 million. A few hours later, Soungoutou Magassa joined from Monaco with a reporting fee of £17 million.
The latter, which won France and Olympic Silver in the summer of 2024, has been highly praised, so West Ham fans should be excited about his arrival, but could his dream mid-partner head for Stratford soon?
According to a TeamTalk report, West Ham is ready to attack the Nicholas Ruskin rangers, adding that the Glasgow-based giant is valued Belgian international at around £15 million.
The transfer speculation is backed by news that Ruskin is not involved in the Glasgow Derby on Sunday, and is trained away from the rest of the first team after his dropout with manager Russell Martin.
Wolves, Burnley, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fiorentina and others are also said to be interested in signing Belgians, but can we quickly exchange the south side of Glasgow for East London?
What Nicholas Ruskin brings to West Ham
Raskin was the Rangers player of the year, a fan player last season, and an outstanding player during an otherwise overwhelming campaign.
In total, the 24-year-old has made 104 appearances for the Glasgow Giants, scoring six goals and 16 assists.
So before the ball was kicked this season, it would have been hard for Rangers supporters to think he wasn’t in the key fixture lineup.
Well, that’s true under Martin, with Ruskin remaining on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Victoria Plze and Club Bruges, introducing the team 5-0 at halftime at Jan Braidelstadion on Wednesday.
The table below document the importance of Raskin for the Rangers last season.
Ruskin-2024/25 | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | Ruskin | Ranger Rank |
Min | 3,591 | Third |
the goal | 5 | No. 5 |
assist | 11 | First |
shot | 53 | 7 days |
Target shot | twenty three | No. 5 |
Pass completed | 392 | First |
Pass to the last 3rd | 41 | First |
Shot creation action | 20 | Fourth |
Tackle | 44 | First |
Intercept | 40 | Third |
Ball recovery | 89 | First |
touch | 639 | First |
via fbref.com | ||
As the table outlines, Ruskin was a key contributor to the Rangers last season, ranking first for assists, passing, tackle, ball recovery and touch, highlighting his importance both in his inability to possess.
He was labelled “Pit Bull” by journalist Bob Fausan – pointing out that he is a “box-to-box midfielder,” but John Walker describes his performance as “completely sensational.”
So alongside Magassa, who likes to sit before defense, they were able to form a great partnership. Certainly, the French are a real monster without his own ownership, ranked 3% of European midfielders with interceptions per 90 people, and according to FBREF, he ranks in the top 4% of the tackles made.
Statistically similar to the aforementioned Kaiseko, and among his European peers, Magassa also has the advantage of being able to drag the pitch upwards, ranking in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.
Ruskin was at his best in the Rangers jersey, giving him the freedom to advance and contribute to the attacking area, and also returning to provide defensive solidity, allowing both him and Magassa to balanced perfectly in the middle of the park.
So, if the Belgian is out for the Rangers, West Ham could snap him up at a bargain price and form an exciting new look midfield duo.