West Ham United guilty of wasting millions in academy products as Fabrizio Romano shares Divine Mukasa exit update
Manchester City have completed the signing of West Ham United youngster Divine Mukasa in yet another academy blow at the London Stadium which could ultimately cost them millions.
Taking to X (22 September), Fabrizio Romano revealed that the England Under-17 international has just signed as a new Manchester City player with documents already signed and sealed.
The 16-year-old Mukasa was a regular for West Ham’s under-18 side last season and will join Manchester United teenager Harrison Parker in a move to the Premier League champions.
It is yet another damaging blow for the Hammers after losing another academy talent this summer in Amara Nallo to Liverpool.
While both Liverpool and City certainly represent exciting moves for these burgeoning West Ham United talents, it is yet another chastening lesson to the East Londoners and several other famous academies like the Hammers that they are no longer the cream of the crop for exciting young footballing talents which could have damaging financial repercussions down the line.
Nallo was one of 12 academy talents to sign scholarship deals at West Ham in May this year, having made appearances for the club’s Under-18 side and it was reported that the Hammers would be due training compensation [TEAMtalk, 31 July].
However, that is nothing compared to the millions they could have snapped up had they developed him into a Declan Rice-like prospect and sold him for considerable profit years later.
The same can be said for Mukasa, who has enjoyed a tremendous development in the West Ham academy.
Last season, he picked up 10 appearances for West Ham’s under-18 side, claiming a goal and an assist. Elsewhere, he emerged as a regular for England’s under-16 side, making nine appearances and scoring 3 goals [Transfermarkt].
With such pedigree at such a young age, the chance for Mukasa to move to the Champions League holders and join another of England’s finest academies is an opportunity he can’t be faulted for taking.
For the Hammers, however, it represents a damaging step in their attempts to unearth the next Declan Rice. How can they achieve that exciting and refreshing aim if they keep giving away their best young gems to the best teams in the country?
Given the number of young academy starlets to already leave the Hammers over the past year, losing both Amara and Mukasa is another damaging blow for such a burgeoning and famous academy setup.
After losing one of their greatest academy products in Declan Rice, the Hammers should be hell-bent on continuing that tradition to find the next Rice. But, that ambition may prove difficult which will ultimately cost them millions down the line.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers must move for an 18-year-old branded good enough for Barcelona.