Divin Mubama allegedly left the Hammers to secure regular first team football, despite making 12 appearances for the West Ham first team. He was on the verge of signing for Portuguese minnows Famalicao, until Manchester City stepped in, a club where it would highly be unlikely that he would break into the first team. Surprisingly it looks like he can’t even make their U-21s team as with eight games gone he is yet to register an appearance. He is not included in their reported injury list, has not been loaned out, and has simply gone off the radar.
Another player who made it clear to West Ham that he was seeking a move elsewhere was Jeremy Ngakia who shunned
Premier League football for Watford in the Championship and has been a peripheral squad player since joining the Hornets in 2021. An ankle injury sidelined him for much of last season, causing him to miss 21 games. He signed a 3 year contract extension with the Hertfordshire club in May 2024, and has made two league appearances this season.
Sonny Perkins joined West Ham from Leyton Orient at youth team level as an U-15 and two years later made his first team debut against Rapid Wien as a substitute on the 78th minute. In July 2022 having made a total of three appearances for West Ham he rejected a professional contract in favour of joining Leeds Utd. After a few appearances where he scored a goal in the FA Cup they loaned him out to Oxford Utd. He had limited playing time at the U’s so was recalled back to Leeds and loaned out to Leyton Orient for this season, where he has made seven league appearances, with no goals or assists.
Lastly, Harrison Ashby who signed a professional contract at West Ham in 2020, left to join Newcastle in a deal worth up to £3m. Looking back this actually was a great deal for West Ham. The Scottish youngster now aged 22, has never played first team football for Newcastle and was at Swansea last season. He is now on a season long loan at QPR where he has made five appearances.
Many Hammers fans are hoping the current crop of youngsters can forge a career at West Ham, and all eyes will be on loanees George Earthy, Callum Marshall and Freddy Potts as they continue to progress at their respective clubs.
Many of us queried why one or more of these players left the club……for me, I was disappointed to see Ashby depart.
However, their lack of progress and apparent inability to shine at a lower level says it all.
It will be very disappointing if some of the current crop don’t make it and will leave a question mark as to why they seem to be unable to make the jump compared to, say, the Liverpool youngsters.