By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Nils Koppen has revealed the extraordinary transfer demand Divine Mukasa made before returning to West Ham this summer.
Fortunately, it’s one Hammers supporters will be very happy about.
Speaking during an extensive Iron Cast interview with West Ham, the club’s Director of Player Recruitment revealed that the 18-year-old made it absolutely clear during discussions over his loan return from Manchester City that there was only one destination he was interested in.
“The only club I want to come to is West Ham,” Mukasa told them, according to Koppen.
Mukasa was “desperate” to return
Koppen described Mukasa as “a boy that was desperate to come back” and revealed just how strongly the midfielder pushed for his return to the club.
The recruitment chief also spoke glowingly about Mukasa’s maturity, personality and desire, describing him as an “amazing talent” and saying that his first day back at West Ham felt like “coming home”.
Perhaps most interestingly, Koppen admitted that Mukasa’s development has happened even quicker than both West Ham and Manchester City had anticipated.
He also highlighted the physical development of a player who is now capable of covering around 12km during a game, alongside the technical ability and two-footedness which have already been obvious this season.
Koppen was delighted to sign Mukasa
One thing doesn’t quite fit
I have to admit, I am slightly confused by this revelation, but it’s not the first time I have heard the story.
It has already been relayed by several people that it was Mukasa’s desire to choose only West Ham, which begs the obvious question: why did he want to leave so much in the first place?
I think that’s the only thing that doesn’t fit for me here.
As for the player himself, I absolutely love him. I think he’s brilliant.
I think the way Koppen revealed that he’d progressed more quickly than both West Ham and Manchester City had expected is testament to how good a player Mukasa is.
Obviously I’m delighted that he wanted to return to West Ham and, knowing his history with the club from a young child, armed with that knowledge, it’s not surprising that he seemed to be the only player in the first half against Millwall who really understood he was in the dogfight of a local derby.
Quite what happens beyond this season remains another matter, particularly with West Ham’s hopes of eventually signing Mukasa permanently potentially becoming more complicated.
Until recently most players would want to go to City. If you aren’t playing why not take the safe option of going back to the club you came from without any clause to keep you there? It’s just a relatively less disruptive move to get game time isn’t it?
City are all over the place so who knows what the future is but it was tragic how many British players they take from academies and lower level teams and then just don’t play them.
Maybe we have more of a chance of signing him now the enormous cheating has been exposed and they are likely to be way down the leagues.
Mark Phillips said on TWHW podcast this week that it was his agent who was pushing for his move to City, not him.
Would love to sign him permanently but unti all this Man City sentence will be it could be we are getting him ready for Championship football
now we know about what City have been up to, I wonder what he and his family got to go there.
Also, very few youngsters had a pathway prior to the last two years.
he might want to stay if city end up in Div 2 now …
Maybe it’s as simple as he found out he prefers to live near his family than in Manchester
When he left we were a mess, so how could he turn down working with someone like Pep Guardiola?
Yeah Pep the Cheque Book Manager
I prefer to think of him as an outstanding coach/manager.
Hey Gonzo. I know it’s been a while since you were a teenager, even longer for me. There’s the money he’s being paid but also so many under 21s getting their chance wasn’t a thing when he chose City. There was slim hope of getting a sniff. If he’d stayed and had the same opportunity he’s been enjoying would he be in the starting lineup? Maybe not, as an academy prospect there’s been little investment into him. We’re short of a centre back but Golembekis isn’t getting that much of a look.
Why did he leave us ?…… surely because he felt / was convinced by others that he would become a better player under City’s guidance
Why was West Ham his only choice ….. he would know at this stage of his carrier, he’s not going to play at City, so would need to go out on loan, and where best but to come to somewhere he can feel at home
Coming here this season has been good for Musaka and West Ham, but also ultimately City too, and surely his next stage is to have a season on loan with a Premiership team and for 28/29, a year on loan with a Premiership side in Europe.
Hopefully West Ham will be able to provide City amd Musaka with those two opportunities
Of course, will Manchester City as it is currently known be in existence in 12 months time ? Or will the owners have allowed that club to go bust rather than pay fines and compensation. If so Musaka will surely be a free agent and West Ham need to make themselves Musaka’s only choice
My god really Gonzo?!
He’s likely on £30-£40k a week at City, they are paying silly money to first year pros.
Let’s not forget this is the same club who had Rice on £15k a week for the first two years he turned pro.