Divin Mubama would be 'unwise' to push for West Ham exit

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·9 de diciembre de 2023

Divin Mubama would be 'unwise' to push for West Ham exit

Highlights

West Ham United frontman Divin Mubama has thrown his long-term future into doubt by rejecting a new contract.
The Hammers have been keen to tie their academy graduate down to fresh terms amid interest from a number of clubs.
Mubama is preparing to enter the final six months of his current agreement at the London Stadium.

West Ham United star Divin Mubama 'would be very unwise to start agitating for a move away' from the London Stadium, and journalist Paul Brown has told GIVEMESPORT whether the youngster is keen to embark on a fresh challenge.

Although Michail Antonio being forced onto the sidelines with a knee injury suffered during the international break appeared to present the striker with an opportunity to break into David Moyes' starting XI, Jarrod Bowen has been given the nod to lead the line as the Hammers have battled it out with Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur over the last seven days.

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Mubama could find himself falling further down the pecking order if West Ham opt to dip into the transfer market, despite spending close to £120million on reinforcements during the summer, next month.

Mubama attracting suitors amid contract snub

Mubama has increased uncertainty over where his long-term future lies by rejecting a contract extension, according to The Athletic, but internal discussions are ongoing as West Ham are hopeful of him changing his mind.

The report suggests the 18-year-old is frustrated at his lack of opportunities after being restricted to just 28 minutes of Premier League action this season, while he was the subject of interest from six unnamed Championship clubs during the summer.

West Ham have been keen to see Mubama sign on the dotted line as he is due to enter the final six months of his £4,000-per-week agreement at the turn of the year, meaning admirers are seeing the January transfer window as an ideal opportunity to pounce.

Having revealed that the frontman has refused to commit his future to the Hammers since a long-term deal was first put on the table 12 months ago, Hammers boss Moyes has urged Mubama to refrain from following in the footsteps of other academy graduates who have moved onto pastures new and failed to make the grade in their new surroundings.

Although respected reporter Brown recently told GIVEMESPORT that Mubama is rated highly behind the scenes at the London Stadium, he is still expected to be starved of regular starts as his current employers look to climb the Premier League table.

It is understood that Championship side Watford have already made a move as head coach Valerien Ismael looks to add more firepower to his squad ahead of the second half of the season, while League One outfit Derby County have also been linked with a January swoop.

But Rams chief Paul Warne has played down suggestions that Mubama could be heading to Pride Park in the coming weeks as they aim to return to the second tier by claiming the chances of negotiating a deal are 'slim to zero'.

The teenager played a pivotal role in West Ham winning the FA Youth Cup last season, finding the back of the net eight times and contributing a further assist in just five appearances, and his exploits in the final third of the pitch led to clinching the Mark Noble Award thanks to being voted the Young Hammer of the Year.

Paul Brown update - Divin Mubama

Brown believes Mubama should opt against trying to force a move away from West Ham during the fast-approaching January transfer window as he needs to repay the faith shown in him by Moyes after he has been handed first-team action at such a young age.

Having spoken to contacts, the reputable journalist understands that the marksman has not been putting pressure on his representatives to find a new club as he looks to embark on the next stage of his burgeoning career.

"I think it's a bit early for Mubama to be thinking about leaving West Ham. He has had his big chance. I didn't really expect David Moyes to give him a run of starts, and I doubt that he really believed that would happen either. "He is a young player who has still got a lot to learn, but I think he has shown that he can get into this team. As West Ham have given him a chance, he probably owes it to them to repay that faith. "He is going to get chances this season. He has forced his way in because they are a bit short of numbers, but I think he would be very unwise to start agitating for a move away. I don't really hear that he is doing that, so I think that might be a stretch."

Hammers keeping tabs on Sanusi

Porto's Zaidu Sanusi has impressed West Ham scouts after the addition of a new left-back has been prioritised ahead of next month, according to TEAMtalk, and technical director Tim Steidten is playing a key role in the east Londoners' push for his signature.

The report suggests the 44-year-old, who headed to the capital to work behind the scenes in July, has been watching the Nigeria international closely and appreciated him for a prolonged period ahead of potentially luring him away from the Estadio do Dragao.

Although West Ham and Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest held discussions with Sanusi and his representatives during the final weeks of the summer window, a move failed to materialise and he has remained on Porto's books.

The 26-year-old's current employers are in a strong negotiating position thanks to his contract, which allows him to pocket just shy of £13,000-per-week, having more than three-and-a-half years to run, so West Ham may be forced to spend big in order to tempt them into sanctioning his mid-season exit.

While Sanusi has been limited to just 185 minutes of Primeira Liga action this campaign, he has shown that he is capable of being a serious threat in the final third of the pitch by finding the back of the net during Porto's narrow win over Vitoria Guimaraes last month.