Written by : @makingthemarrow

West Ham United have made their fourth signing of the summer with a stunning statement of intent for the season up ahead. The prolific and proven French striker Sebastien Haller has become West Ham’s record signing and arrived with the promise to set the Premier League alight. 

The 25 year old has signed from German side Eintracht Frankfurt on a five year deal (with an option of a further 12 months) for a fee believed to be in the region of £45million, plus additional clauses.

The striker’s career took off while playing in Holland for FC Utrecht. In 91 appearances, he scored 51 goals and 17 assists before moving to Germany. In two seasons in the Bundesliga, he racked up 33 goals in 77 appearances – and narrowly missed out on a Champions League place last season. 

His goal-scoring abilities, although impressive, are not the only skill set he’s bringing to the side. Haller has a knack for getting the best out of his teammates; he’s a genuine team player, and is known for selflessly setting up goals for others. 

Haller is looking forward to his new challenge at West Ham, saying

“I will always give 100% and respect the club. I think this is a normal thing and that I can guarantee. I know it’s a big transfer and there is a lot of expectation around me, and I just want to make people proud of this transfer and I will give everything I have.”

Unfortunately, his first duty as a Hammer was to watch his teammates lose 4-1 to Manchester City – hopefully not a precursor to our first game of the season – but, the signing of two top-quality players around the £40million mark in two consecutive years will give fans cause for optimism. 

The club is beginning to make progress and take seriously the promise to be elevating the club in the Premier League and pushing for a European place – and Haller could be just the man to get us over the line.