Overview
- West Ham completed the season-long loan of 18-year-old Divine Mukasa from Manchester City, with the move confirmed in coverage on Friday and finalized without a buy option.
- Manchester City extended Mukasa in June on a long-term contract through 2030 and arranged this straight loan to accelerate his first-team development while retaining his long-term rights.
- Mukasa returns to the club where he began at age five after making six senior appearances for City and spending the second half of 2025–26 on loan at Leicester, where he recorded two goals and three assists in 15 Championship games.
- West Ham view Mukasa as a creative attacking midfielder who can provide pace and chance creation as the club reshapes its squad to push for an immediate return to the Premier League.
- The move fits City’s wider strategy of signing young talents to long deals and sending them to clubs where they can play regular senior minutes, and West Ham’s fans should expect Mukasa to compete for starts and to be used as a rotation or impact player early on.