West Ham staff ‘inside the club’ now ‘really rate’ Divin Mubama
West Ham United forward Divin Mubama was given the chance to impress for David Moyes’ side at the weekend, and journalist Paul Brown has now provided an update on how the young striker is rated internally and whether we could see him in the starting XI soon.
An injury to Michail Antonio and a disappointing start to the game saw Mubama come off the bench against Burnley, playing a part in helping the Hammers secure three points. The young striker ran towards the away end to celebrate an equaliser, but unfortunately for him, the goal has officially gone down as a Dara O’Shea own-goal.
However, his movement in the box helped cause a problem in the Burnley penalty area and it could be time for Moyes to unleash him as a starter, but there are doubts surrounding whether his long-term future lies at the London Stadium.
Divin Mubama’s future at West Ham is in doubt
Last season, Mubama was part of West Ham’s U18s who won the FA Youth Cup, finishing as top goalscorer in the competition. The youngster began to feature for the senior squad in pre-season and later reiterated his desire to play regular football under Moyes. However, this term, Mubama hasn’t been given much of an opportunity in the Premier League, featuring for the first time against Burnley at the weekend.
The lack of minutes could have a major impact on his future at the London Stadium, with Mubama’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign. According to The Athletic, the 18-year-old recently rejected an offer to extend his stay at West Ham, casting further doubts about whether he’s going to remain at the club. Mubama’s goal record at youth level speaks for itself, so it’s no surprise that the Hammers are keen to tie him down. However, considering how disappointing Danny Ings has been during his time at the club, Mubama might not be happy with his lack of minutes so far this season.
Moyes spoke about Mubama’s development after the Burnley game, praising his mentality, but also mentioning that at his age it’s rare to be a regular starter in the Premier League…
“We want to play him but I would say how many 19-year-old centre-forwards are there in the Premier League? It is getting harder, because it is such a difficult role, and the level of competition is really high at nearly every club. His mentality and attitude are as good as any top player. He is so determined and works incredibly hard for the team. We need him to develop his actions and technical ability but he is only 19.”
Paul Brown update
Brown has suggested that internally, Mubama has plenty of admirers at the club and is highly rated, but he would be surprised if Moyes gives him a run of starts. The journalist adds that he expects Mubama to be used sparingly over the next few weeks rather than given a place in the starting XI. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown said…
“Knowing Moyes like I do, and how much of a captain cautious manager he is, I would be surprised if he gives me Mubama a run of starts now. There’s an argument for doing so and I know that people inside the club really rate this kid very highly. He looks like he’s got something about him. There’s clearly some talent there and they hope he’ll progress into a really good player, but it would be out of character for Moyes to expect so much so quickly from someone who’s just coming into the team. So I suspect that he will be used a bit more sparingly off the bench over the next few weeks to see if he really does have it and whether he can stay consistent.”
Mubama is attracting interest
Ahead of the January transfer window, Watford are plotting a move to sign Mubama, according to Claret & Hugh. With Watford in the Championship, there’s a good chance they can offer the young striker more regular minutes, and they might be able to secure themselves a bargain with his contract running down.
It’s also understood that Derby County are keen on Mubama. The League One club are in search of a striker, but after getting a taste of Premier League football, he might consider that move a bit too much of a step-down.
