Manchester City is on the verge of completing the acquisition of former West Ham United striker Divin Mubama, following the expiration of his contract earlier this summer, as reported by The Athletic.
Mubama, who is 19, departed from West Ham after rejecting a new contract due to a disagreement over his future playing time. He is now expected to primarily train with Manchester City’s Under-21 team, but he will also have opportunities to train with Pep Guardiola’s first team. Despite interest from Everton, West Brom, Sunderland, Lyon, and Famalicão, City has won the race to secure his signature.
As Mubama is under 24, City will need to pay a ‘transfer fee’ as compensation to West Ham. The young striker made 12 appearances for West Ham last season under David Moyes and showed his potential in West Ham’s FA Youth Cup-winning campaign in 2023.
During that tournament, Mubama scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Southampton and ended as the top scorer with eight goals. His impressive performances earned him the title of West Ham’s Young Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
In a separate development, Manchester City is set to approve a loan move for Kalvin Phillips to newly-promoted Ipswich Town. The 29-year-old midfielder is seeking a permanent departure from the Etihad Stadium after struggling with injuries and form since his £42 million transfer from Leeds United. Last season, Phillips had a loan spell at West Ham, where he made only ten appearances across all competitions.
Phillips’ relationship with Guardiola has been strained, particularly after the manager publicly criticized him for being ‘overweight’ following the 2022 World Cup, a remark that upset the player, though Guardiola later apologized. Phillips is now poised to play a crucial role in Kieran McKenna’s squad at Ipswich, as they aim to avoid relegation in their first Premier League season since 2002. The loan agreement reportedly does not include an obligation to buy.
