Arguably the shining light of West Ham United's flagging season has been homegrown talent Declan Rice, who current ranks as their top performer according to WhoScored metrics.

However, with the coveted club captain reportedly set to depart the London Stadium this year, the Irons may well be hoping for another in-house product to fill the 24-year-old's shoes if he does move on.

After a couple of successful years under David Moyes, the Hammers have fallen flat this term and face an arduous battle to remain in the top-flight rather than the thrilling chase for a European spot, despite signing the likes of club-record acquisition Lucas Paqueta for £51m and Gianluca Scamacca for £35.5m last summer.

While recent form suggests that the east Londoners are digging a pathway out of the turmoil which has left them with just 20 points after 22 Premier League matches, only two points off the drop-zone, there is a yearning for something to galvanise the squad and evoke a sense of optimism when looking to the future.

Rice has been the club's pillar of strength over the past few years, but considering his eminently possible departure this summer, Moyes would indeed welcome a new talent from the youth ranks to ease the pain of the Englishman's potential exit.

Robust young forward Divin Mubama might just be that man, having already left his mark on the senior squad this term. The 19-year-old is held in high regard, and he could be the man to take Michail Antonio's place in the team moving forward...

Could Divin Mubama really replace Antonio at West Ham?

Antonio has been dependable and consistent for West Ham since arriving from Nottingham Forest for just £7m in 2015, scoring ten goals in each of the previous three league campaigns, but his performances this season suggest that the fire in his core is waning, and Moyes must duly consider long-term replacements for the Jamaica international.

With six goals across all competitions this term, the 32-year-old, is still a valuable utility option, and had Scamacca not endured such a turbulent time since his summer arrival (just three top-flight goals), West Ham's road this season might not have been so rocky.

Given the Italian's past goalscoring record, netting 16 times in Serie A last term, Moyes will hope that the 23-year-old can find his feet and make a splash in the Premier League, as was anticipated before the season's start, which in turn could prove beneficial for Mubama's own progress.

With an established and free-firing forward at the bow of the Hammers' ship, Mubama could gradually integrate into the relentless regularity of first-team football at top-flight level.

The talent is there, and the foundation has been paved - Mubama's diving header against FCSB in the Europa Conference League aided a convincing victory, with BT Sport lauding his "dream debut" via Twitter. He must now channel the embedded natural talent which put him into that position, and he could indeed flourish with the Irons for years to come.

On top of this, the 19-year-old has netted an assist for West Ham from just 92 minutes of professional action, a stellar start to life among the senior crop, complementing his 43 goals from 71 outings at youth level.

Hailed as a "top talent" by writer Will Lebeau, Mubama's vibrancy and physical attributes could leave him in good stead to assume Antonio's role in the team, with the latter's contract set to expire at the end of next season.

If Moyes keeps the Jamaican for another year, Mubama could then absorb the experience and knowledge of his positional peer, making his development one step at a time before finally announcing himself to the big stage with a regular starting berth.

Mubama is indeed considered a 'top talent' in east London, and with the right mentoring from senior figures at the club in nurturing and developing his unrefined gem of a skill set, he could indeed fill an Antonio-shaped hole at West Ham in the near future.