During what was an underwhelming first season in the Bundesliga, there wasn’t much to suggest West Ham United missed out on a gem in the shape of Werder Bremen winger Samuel Mbangula.
According to reports in Italy, the Hammers failed saw an £8.3 million bid rejected by Juventus midway through the 2024/25 campaign.
By the time Juventus received an offer more to their liking – a £10.5 million package put forward by Werder Bremen – West Ham United’s focus was firmly on a new left-back, a new goalkeeper, and a couple of central midfielders.
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El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mads Hermansen, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa would all join before the deadline. With Jarrod Bowen present and Crysencio Summerville coming back from a long injury absence, perhaps West Ham felt that a winger in the mould of Mbangula was no longer the most pressing use of their funds.
Twelve months later – as Summerville attracts interest from Man United, Tottenham, PSG and Arsenal – wide forwards are likely to sit much higher on West Ham’s transfer wishlist.
Samuel Mbangula may be an option for West Ham United
According to ExWhuEmployee, Leicester City talisman Abdul Fatawu is a target. Brighton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry has been linked by The Athletic this week, while Watford speed machine Nestory Irankunda is one to watch too.
But if they are willing to overlook an underwhelming first season in Germany, Mbangula may be another to keep half an eye on.
Mbangula only started 12 Bundesliga matches for Werder Bremen. The Belgium international scored only three goals and provided just two assists.
Yet, as head of first-team football Peter Niemeyer tells Deich Stube, there is still plenty of interest.
“We have players in the squad who are generating interest, and Samuel Mbangula is one of them because he has an exciting profile,” says Niemeyer.
“That’s why his name is definitely being mentioned in the market.”
Niemeyer insists that Werder Bremen have not yet received any ‘concrete enquiries’. Therefore, they are ‘planning with [Mbangula] as usual.”
But the chance to recoup their £10.5 million investment is one Werder may consider after Mbangula struggled to live up to expectations in green and white.
Mbangula may be better suited to the Hammers than Werder Bremen
The question on the lips of our Hammers News readers is likely to be something along the lines of; ‘Why would we buy a player who struggled to impress at a club who finished one place above the Bundesliga relegation zone?’.
Well, as Niemeyer says, Mbangula possesses an extremely ‘exciting profile’. He is a tall and rangy winger who can play all across the frontline. He is a superb dribbler in one-v-one situations, possesses a cracking long-range shot, while a penchant for cutting in onto his right foot could make him a solid replacement for the £50 million-rated Summerville.
At a struggling Werder side, arguably the main issue facing Mbangula was the sheer amount of defensive work expected of him. Considering that West Ham will be favourites in most of the games they play in the Championship, Mbangula may be much better suited to a role where he is required to pick a tight defensive lock from the flanks.
As recently as 2024/25, he burst onto the scene with six goal contributions in just seven starts during what was a very promising breakout season at Italian giants Juventus.
All three of his Serie A strikes were right-footed efforts from the left wing; in the style, and from the position, of West Ham’s current number seven.
“I’m very pleased with how he’s [developed], above all for his attitude, which is fantastic,” former Bianconeri coach Thiago Motta said during his and Mbangula’s brief time together at the Allianz Stadium.
“He fights for every ball, he doesn’t stop when he makes a mistake, he never lowers his head. He’s always alert. He has a fantastic attitude.”
A poor season does not equal a poor player. Mbangula’s Bundesliga frustrations feels like a classic case of a player ill-suited to the demands of his club. West Ham might just be the change of scenery he needs.
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