The Athletic journalist, Roshane Thomas shared on his personal Twitter account on Monday 30 October that the young striker has rejected a contract extension at the London Stadium but the Hammers are continuing discussions to get him to commit.
However, reliable West Ham journalists Claret & Hugh shared on Thursday (3 November) that the youngsters could be contemplating the possibility of quitting the club given his “diminished” opportunities at the East Londoners this season.
The England Under-19 forward is yet to feature in the league and was not in the matchday squad for the 1-0 loss to Everton last Saturday or the EFL Cup win over Arsenal — only played 24 minutes of first-team football this season under manager David Moyes.
There will be no prizes for guessing as to why Mubama has made his decision to reject the club’s contract extension and that’s certainly down to his lack of opportunities at the club so far this season.
The West Ham sensation was supposed to be third choice after Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, but Moyes’ decision to play Jarrod Bowen up front with Mohammed Kudus in a supporting role against the Gunners certainly implies that Moyes doesn’t see him as part of his plans yet despite his rapid progress with the youth sides.
The 19-year-old is highly-regarded within the club and amongst fans given his rampant performances with the youth setup in recent seasons, scoring 13 goals in 20 Premier League 2 games last season [Transfermarkt] and even bagging a goal for the first-team during their Europa Conference League triumphant run.
And it seems his agents believe that he is worthy of Premier League opportunities too with reliable West Ham source Six Foot Two (3 November) sharing that have made “outrageous” financial demands to West Ham United in order to secure his long-term future at the London Stadium.
It is believed that his agents want Premier League first-team starter wages for their client which has led to a standoff in negotiations on a new contract.
However, given his limited minutes and the Hammers wanting to secure him regular football elsewhere on loan, it remains to be seen if Mubama will commit to the club in the near future.
And should West Ham United fail to tie him down to new terms, they could be set to throw millions down the drain yet again after losing several talented prospects to similar circumstances such as Amara Nallo, Divine Mukasa, Armstrong Oxoflex and Sonny Perkins.
His contract runs out in 2024, which means the Irons could lose him for next to nothing in January or for free next summer. Given his burgeoning potential, they should tie him down, develop him and somehow make a considerable profit down the line.
Mubama is certainly ready for first-team football at the London Stadium but Moyes’ stubbornness and baffling loyalty to a struggling Michail Antonio is hurting the club’s progression and ultimately their chances of keeping one of their most gifted youth stars since Declan Rice.
The terrible trend of talented young teenage stars leaving the London Stadium could well continue if West Ham United don’t make Mubama a first-team guarantee soon. How much more money would they be willing to lose?
