Hammers on the right pathway thanks to Mark Noble

Due for a medical today, Celtic’s teenage goalscoring prodigy is hopefully well on the way to signing a pre-agreement to join West Ham in the summer: His Parkhead contract expires at the end of the season but, rather than sell him in the January window, Celtic decided to keep hold of their youngster Daniel Cummings ‘just in case’ as their third choice striker. The sums involved are peanuts either way so it is understandable that they chose keeping their teenager in the squad – he has after all played in the Champions’ League, if not the SPL!

With the thirst for some good news – any – after Saturday’s fail against Brentford, it is worth taking a dispassionate look at the striker who should be joining the claret and blue ranks in the summer.

According to the The Scottish Sun in December ’24, Cummings ‘has bagged 22 goals in 20 matches this year across domestic and European competition and has a strike ratio that Cristiano Ronaldo would be would be proud of” – albeit in the youth leagues!

Not one senior appearance, save 17 minutes in the Champions League against Aston Villa: So, not a finished article by any means and one more than likely hyped out of desperation not realism, owing to the paucity of attacking talent at West Ham just now.

Probably he’ll go into the u21 squad, so don’t hold your breath that you’ll be seeing him on your TV or in person at London Stadium any time next season. Mark Noble was tasked with bringing Cummings in for a reason – he is a future prospect, not a first team player in the making any time soon.

There is a suspicion that he has been held back by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers – time will tell whether that was the wisest choice. However, Soccer4U reporting in November’24 saw something in him well worth nurturing:

“Primarily operating as as a forward, he has proven that he is highly capable of scoring goals, which makes him a valuable asset at such a young age. Cummings has also been used as a wide player at times, showcasing his adaptability and tactical awareness, allowing him to slot into various systems with ease. However, his long-term future as a player appears to be as a centre-forward, and potentially a prolific one at that.”

One for the future, then. Cummings won’t be solving the ‘Evan Ferguson’ problem then, when the loan striker’s deal ends this Summer. Maybe, if we are very lucky, the year after.

What it does signify is a huge shift of emphasis at West Ham where youngsters with the potential of a Mubama or Diangana might be coveted instead of discarded. For which, sporting director Mark Noble is to be congratulated.