Simon Stone shares West Ham United nervousness as ‘big’ Divin Mubama question to be answered this week
There is nervousness at West Ham about what Divin Mubama is going to do after he has stalled on signing a new contract at the club, according to Simon Stone.
Writing on the BBC Sport website on Wednesday (22 November), the journalist said the injuries suffered by fellow attackers Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen during the international break are going to “raise talk” around potential opportunities for the 19-year-old, whose deal expires in the summer.
He added that the “big question” ahead of the Hammers’ game against Burnley on Saturday (25 November) is whether or not the England U-20 international is going to get his first Premier League minutes of the season at Turf Moor.
“News that the injury Michail Antonio picked up on international duty with Jamaica might not be as bad as first feared is clearly a positive for West Ham,” said Stone. “But it does open up striking possibilities for a couple of weeks, starting at Burnley on Saturday. And that is bound to raise talk of potential opportunities for 19-year-old Divin Mubama.
“The forward was one of the stars of West Ham’s fabulous FA Youth Cup-winning team last season and seemed set for a breakthrough campaign in 2023-24. It is yet to happen and given Mubama is stalling over signing an extension to his contract, which expires in the summer, there is nervousness about what he is going to do.
“Mubama was introduced right at the end of West Ham’s Europa League win over Olympiakos earlier this month. So, the big question is, with Antonio out and Jarrod Bowen being assessed after his withdrawal from the England squad, will Mubama get his first Premier League minutes of the season at Turf Moor?”
Give him a go
It will have no doubt been a frustrating past few months for Mubama at West Ham after he would have expected to be more involved in the first team this season.
The forward was highly impressive during pre-season, but David Moyes has barely given him a sniff so far during this campaign despite senior forwards failing to impress.
While Antonio has offered something in spells, Danny Ings has failed to prove his worth as he continues his torrid time at the London Stadium.
But the 31-year-old seems the most likely candidate to benefit from the injury situation, with Mubama likely to have to settle for a place on the bench.
It feels like the Hammers boss hasn’t got too much to lose at this point, though, as the teenager deserves the chance to show what he can do after his senior teammate simply hasn’t performed since signing for the club.
In other West Ham news, a journalist has detailed how likely a former Irons favourite is to replace David Moyes.