Southampton Signs Divin Mubama on Loan Following Shea Charles Departure

Southampton answered the loss of Shea Charles with a statement of intent, sealing a season-long loan for Manchester City striker Divin Mubama on the same day the midfielder’s £30m move to Fulham went through.

One major sale. One ambitious arrival. The balance of the squad shifts again on the south coast.

Mubama, 21, arrives with something to prove and a point already made. Last season at Stoke City he struck five goals in 28 appearances, a campaign interrupted – and effectively derailed – by a ligament injury suffered in a bruising 0-0 draw with Queens Park Rangers in January, the challenge branded “terrible” by then-boss Mark Robins. He featured just once more for the Potters after that.

The setback didn’t stall his rise for long. A product of the West Ham academy, Mubama had already broken through at the London Stadium, playing 18 times for the Hammers, eight of those as a Premier League substitute. He was on the bench in Prague when West Ham lifted the Europa Conference League in June 2023, close enough to taste a European trophy before his 20th birthday.

Manchester City moved for him in the summer of 2024, and he wasted no time justifying the decision on their pre-season tour of Asia. Mubama scored against Inter Milan and the K-League All Stars, then added an assist in City’s 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Seoul on Sunday, sharpening his reputation as a penalty-box striker with an eye for goal and a willingness to graft.

Now he swaps City’s depth chart for a frontline role in a Southampton side built to supply chances.

“With the way this team plays, when you've got players around you that have that much quality, you will be served,” Mubama told the club’s website. “It's up to you whether you put the ball in the back of the net, and that's what I'm here to do.

“I've just come back from a pre-season where I've scored goals. I've been playing, I feel really fresh, I feel sharp, so I'm just really excited to get going.”

Southampton’s sporting director Johannes Spors made it clear the club did not hesitate once the door opened.

“As soon as we knew about Divin's availability we acted quickly to bring him here, not just because of his incredible goal scoring ability, but because of his work ethic and hunger to help the team, which will be vitally important this season.”

For Southampton, it is a calculated trade: cashing in on a talented midfielder in Charles while betting on Mubama’s cutting edge and energy to tilt tight games. For the striker, it is something simpler – a chance to turn pre-season promise into decisive goals when it really counts.