By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham have agreed a deal to bring former academy star Divine Mukasa back to the club on loan from Manchester City.
The news was first reported exclusively by ExWHUEmployee earlier today, before Fabrizio Romano confirmed an agreement had been reached.
Romano reported:
“West Ham agree deal to sign Divine Mukasa from Man City, here we go! Deal done on straight loan, no buy option clause as #WHUFC agreed terms today for 18 year old talent.”
And that last part is rather important.
There is no option to buy Mukasa. West Ham are simply borrowing back a player our own academy spent ten years developing.
Mukasa in his West Ham days
West Ham’s Strange Full Circle
Mukasa left the Hammers for Manchester City in 2023 and his development has continued at some pace.
The attacking midfielder registered 16 goals and 15 assists in just 20 U18 Premier League appearances during 2024/25, before breaking into City’s senior squad and making six competitive appearances. He then spent the second half of last season at Leicester City, contributing two goals and three assists from 15 Championship appearances.
Manchester City clearly rate him highly too, having recently handed Mukasa a new contract until 2030.
He’s undoubtedly a fine player and I’m pleased West Ham are signing him.
But nothing quite demonstrates how far the club have fallen like this particular transfer.
Having lost one of our most highly-rated academy players to Manchester City, West Ham now find themselves in the Championship with the begging bowl out like Oliver Twist, asking to borrow back the player we developed ourselves.
There’s no option to buy and therefore no prospect of West Ham benefiting financially if Mukasa fulfils his considerable potential.
The reality is that the Hammers are now borrowing young players from Premier League clubs while some of our own brightest talents are being sold.
I guess that’s simply the reality of being a Championship club.
Hopefully Mukasa can help us make it a temporary one.
The whole academy set up needs a rethink. Little value in it currently. We either sell players who aren’t good enough or get others back we think could be good. Rubbish strategy.
Not our palyer anymore so no point crying over spilt milk (sorry Gonzo). Lets get a bid in for Alexander Warneryd (Tromso) Brighton do!
Any truth in the rumour that Tottscum are trying to steal 15-year-old Isaac Allen off us?
so city nick our best youngster for pretty much nothing, he walks to a “better club” , doesn’t get the opportunities he was promised, so we give him another go, play him, increase his value for City to thn sell him and mug us off again.
club has no pride, and he’s not much better than what we’ve sold…
Manchester City rate him so highly that they signed him until 2030. Question is, knowing how good he was, why didn’t we? Why do we keep selling our best rated academy stars?
I was going to say pity we did not keep him in the first place, but others have pointed out that MC draw any youngsters to them.
He seems to play no 10, attacking midfield, so wonder if he could be a replacement for Pablo. Now what would be great is that Fearon now goes out on loan (also 19yo) and plays regularly, bulks up just a bit (because leagues are athletic and wee bit physical) and comes back to play no 10 at WHU in 1-2 seasons time have having ripped up trees like a force 9 gale. Easy.
Not sure what I was thinking, he won’t be replacing Pablo.
Still hope Fearon is helped to progress beyond U21 level out on loan (away from NES influence and not pointlessly hanging around 1st team). Academy + Noble need to get Academy players to progress beyond U21 once they have outgrown it.
Maybe residential academies at the best clubs for top 6 players: Barcelona, Ajax, etc. with english speaking coaches.
Just wish they would pull their fingers out and actually do something innovative & different. Just lettng them hang around the 1st team at the whim of a manager is criminal and a waste of all the work club has put into the Academy.
Is it just me but this signing is absolutely pointless, typical skint West Ham
Over the last few years ManCity U18 & U21’s have been the only comparable teams to our youth teams. Scoring and assisting for fun at those levels has been just as common to Marshall, Potts and Earthy (all of whom have done even better than this lad in Championship loans). The logic of our youth transfer transactions this season has escaped me.
I don’t see it the same as you, Gonzo.
He has had 3 years at the best club in the land for developing talent, under the best manager this country has ever seen. He will have developed to a much greater degree than if he had stayed with us, in much better facilities, surrounded by some of the best players in the world. A good signing, although he didn’t tear up trees at Leicester by all accounts but then, who did?
Not as bad as it seems i reckon
Spot on Saul, enjoying the posts as you seem to be one of the few voices of reason.
Gonzo – Fact is Chelsea have lost talent to Liverpool and visa versa, Arsenal have lost talent to City. It happens so not specific to WH and the situation we find ourselves in.
Does that fit the negative doom and gloom agenda right now. Probably not.
Cheer up. It is no shame to lose some of our young stars to a club such as Man City, don’t forget we have done well obtaining youngsters from the likes of Chelsea. Getting out of the Championship is the goal and Mukasa is a great addition to add depth to our squad. He gives us another option in attack.
It’s a odd turn of events, but it doesn’t demonstrate anything about our status.
Man City could lure academy prospects from any club outside the top two or three, and perhaps even from those. I believe right now we’ve got a 15 year old talent who is tipped to join Arsenal or Chelsea. There are always going to be bigger fish, even if you’re in the premiership
I’d imagine some of our staff know the player well and feel he’s now developed to the point where he can help our first team.
He will bring the pace you keep banging on about. 🙂
You couldn’t make it up you really couldn’t