West Ham midfielder sends farewell message after holding Rangers and Newcastle United ‘talks’

Rangers-linked England youth international Divine Mukasa has issued a farewell message to West Ham as he prepares for his next move.

The 15-year-old came through the academy ranks at the London club and spent a large portion of last season playing for the Under-18s side.

The youngster officially left the club in May but his next move has yet to be confirmed amid reported interest from Rangers, as well as Newcastle United and Manchester City.

“Thank you to all the players and staff at West Ham that have helped to develop me into both the player and person that I am today,” Mukasa posted on Instagram.

“This club has been my home for the past 10 years and for it to come to an end is bittersweet but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my career. Best of luck to everyone at the club.”

He made 12 appearances for the Hammers’ Under-18s side as they won the Premier League South title and claimed the FA Youth Cup last term.

According to The Secret Scout, Mukasa has visited the facilities at Rangers and Newcastle United while Newcastle World report the player’s agent has held talks with the Magpies.

Amid the reported interest from Rangers, Michael Beale has continued to bolster his first-team squad ahead of his first full campaign in charge at Ibrox.

Cyriel Dessers joined the club on Thursday from US Cremonese on a four-year deal in Beale’s sixth signing of the summer.

“We are delighted to have Cyriel joining our club. He brings a lot of experience from playing in Holland, Belgium and Italy, as well as in European competitions,” said Beale.

“We were looking for a very specific profile and believe that Cyriel will give us a variety of qualities both in and out of possession. When we met, we spoke at length about his alignment to our style of play and the other forwards we have in our squad.

“At 28-years-old, he is at a good age and will bring personality and leadership to our team. Cyriel pushed extremely hard to make this transfer a reality and showed a huge desire to come here.”