Exclusive: Emeka Adiele completes West Ham exit after Borussia Dortmund transfer chase
FC Utrecht have completed the signing of West Ham youngster Emeka Adiele, sources have told Football Insider.
The 18-year-old left-back has signed a four-year deal at the Dutch side as he leaves the London Stadium in search of first-team football.
Football Insider recently revealed that Borussia Dortmund were interested in Adiele, with Juventus also in the race.
However, Adiele has chosen to turn down these chances in favour of Utrecht, with first-team football seen as the priority.
West Ham continue to lose their upcoming talents
Adiele’s form for West Ham’s academy had attracted plenty of interest going into the winter window, and they proved incapable of keeping hold of the 18-year-old.
The wide player had played in 20 matches for the academy this season in all competitions, scoring five times and assisting 10 goals.
However, with his departure, the trend of the Hammers letting their upcoming stars go this winter has continued.
🏴⚡️ Brilliant from West Ham academy player Emeka Adiele! 18-years-old. 💎⚒️ pic.twitter.com/XGsIWXUgG0
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 27, 2026
Recently, winger Elisha Sowunmi had departed for Tottenham, with the 18-year-old assisting both goals in the Under 18 Premier League Cup final victory against Reading last season.
Now, it remains to be seen if West Ham lose out on any of their other upcoming talents before the window shuts.
Are West Ham set to complete any other deals before the transfer window closes?
With West Ham in the middle of a relegation battle, Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to complete more signings before the window closes.
One player that have been linked with on deadline day is Axel Disasi.
The 27-year-old centre-back has been an outcast at Chelsea throughout the season since he returned from his loan at Aston Villa in the summer.
This has seen talk of Disasi heading to Leeds United, but now Nuno looks set to win the race to his signature.
With the Hammers proving to be incapable of keeping regular clean sheets, Nuno will be hopeful that he can fix this issue in the closing hours.
More optimism now that Axel Disasi is ready to join West Ham. Medical scheduled for the Chelsea defender this afternoon.
— Jacob Steinberg 🎗️ (@JacobSteinberg) February 2, 2026
Jacob Steinberg via X on 2 February confirmed that the defender is set to have a medical at West Ham ahead of a potential move.
Now, it remains to be seen if they can get this over the line before the 7pm deadline in England on Monday as the transfer window edges closer to its conclusion.