West Ham have signed 17-year-old former Manchester United striker Ademipo ‘Mipo’ Odubeko.
Odubeko has spent the last few years on the books at Old Trafford, where he made his debut in the Under-18 Premier League last season.
He will now join West Ham’s U18 side, continuing his development at the club’s academy before hoping to push for a place in the first team.
“It’s a really exciting day,” Odubeko told the West Ham website.
“I’ve been waiting for this move for a while, so I’m looking forward to getting started.
“West Ham is a club with a lot of history behind it. It promotes its young players, so it’s a great opportunity for me to develop my game and help the team.
“I’m looking forward to moving to London – it’ll be a little different to Manchester, so it’s an exciting challenge.”
On moving to England in 2015, Odubeko was involved in a tug of war between Manchester City and United, with the former inviting him over to play for them, and the latter eventually securing his services on a youth deal which expired at the end of last season.
He now joins West Ham after finally sealing a move which has been in the offing for several months.
“I’ve been out for a while now, so now I’m just excited to get going – and get scoring,” he added.
“I always set high expectations for myself, so I’m looking to score a lot of goals for West Ham this season.”
The Tallaght-born teenager has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth international level, winning the Victory Shield with the U16s, and moved to England having played for St Joseph's Boys in Dublin. He is also eligible to represent Nigeria.
“Mipo signing for West Ham is another really positive story for the academy,” said Hammers academy manager, Ricky Martin.
“He is a promising player we are looking forward to working with and this move is a great opportunity for him to join us and continue his journey.
“It will naturally take Mipo some time to settle in, but we believe West Ham is the perfect environment for Mipo to flourish and fulfil his undoubted potential.
“He’ll start with the Under-18s and will enjoy opportunities to work, develop his own game, and act as a focal point in attack for different age groups, including the Under-23s.
