It is difficult to know exactly how disappointed to feel as yet another talented youngster leaves West Ham United in search of pastures new; Emmanuel Fejokwu joining Club Brugge earlier this week.
After all, no one knows exactly how good the England Under-16 international will eventually become.
Yes, Fejokwu was linked with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, among others, before putting pen to paper with the 20-time Belgian champions. All we have to go on currently, however, is the burgeoning reputation of a 16-year-old defender who hadn’t even featured for West Ham United at Under-21 level, let alone with the senior team.
What do YOU think is causing so many academy exits at West Ham? 🤨
Fejokwu leaves for Club Brugge…
The fact that Fejokwu continues a concerning trend of academy prospects heading for the exit is, obviously, something the Hammers will need to look at behind the scenes.
Emeka Adiele [Utrecht] and Elisha Sowunmi [Tottenham Hotspur] departed earlier in the year, following in the footsteps of Sonny Perkins [Leeds], Aji Alese [Sunderland], Harrison Ashby [Newcastle], Divine Makasa, Jamal Baptiste and Divin Mubama [all Manchester City].
For some of Hammers News Talking Point users, though, the phrase ‘grass isn’t always greener’ is an appropriate one.
Emmanuel Fejokwu hopes to thrive in Belgium where other West Ham United kids failed
Mubama and Ashby joined Man City and Newcastle respectively, feeling that their development would be better served away from West Ham. In the last two years, Mubama has played 117 first-team minutes for City. Ashby joined Luton Town on loan this week having not featured even once for Newcastle since January 2023.
The frustration for some is that, like with Mubama and Perkins, they left after a prolonged contract dispute. Declan Rice aside, others attribute these exits to the lack of an obvious pathway, although Freddie Potts, Ezra Mayers and co will hope to firmly establish themselves as starters in the Championship.
If they had been given a direct line to Fejokwu’s camp, many would have pointed the teenager in the direction of his claret and blue predecessors. We have already mentioned the post-Hammers struggles of Mubama and Ashby.
But Perkins featured only four times for Leeds and is now at Leyton Orient, avoiding relegation to the fourth tier by the skin of his teeth. Baptiste wasn’t so lucky; relegated with Rotherham. Mukasa would suffer the same fate in the division above, even if he was one of the bright sparks of a dreadful Leicester City season.
Sometimes, as Potts, Mayers and will hope to demonstrate, sometimes it is better off staying where you are valued, where you are a man rather than a number, and among a group of coaches who know every detail of your development.
Fans think many former Hammers kids will regret leaving
“I think it’s a mixture of not quite being good enough or doing enough to make the grade,” one fan writes on Hammers News’ Facebook page. “They also listen to agents or advisers who think they can do and earn better elsewhere.”
“How many of them have gone on to be playing at the top top level [after leaving West Ham]?,” another asks, justifiably. “Maybe they were let go for a reason? It’s sad of course and, yes, we’d like to integrate the academy into the first-team, that’s the whole point.
“But only if it improves and serves the team/club.”
Can you spot anything interesting as West Ham return for pre-season?
Taty returns, Nuno chats with Bowen, and a couple of youngsters make an appearance
“Long list of talented kids… how many of them have stepped up and are playing first-team football at the highest levels? Yeah, it sucks seeing youngsters leave but it’s very rare that we ever have one who comes back to bite us.”
“Also, remember Grady Diangana? The uproar we all made when he left? How’s he getting on these days? Oh yeah, done really well at West Brom and now setting La Liga alight at Elche! Grass isn’t always greener lads!”
“Well I can’t lie, not one of those players has actually gone onto do things that our club would’ve benefited from.”
“In the last 30 years, there is only one player I can think of where we have got it wrong releasing them and that is Jimmy Bullard.”
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