West Ham have announced the arrival of Frankfurt striker Sebastien Haller in a club-record deal worth as much as £45m.
The Hammers have been locked in talks with Frankfurt for the last two sweek and Haller has now put pen to paper on a five-year deal with an option to a further 12 months with the east London outfit.
West Ham moved for Haller after missing out on Uruguay international Maxi Gomez to Spanish side Valencia.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been heavily linked with a variety of strikers in the last fortnight following Marko Arnautovic's move to China, including the likes of Diego Costa, Mario Balotelli and Callum Wilson.
It was initially suggested Haller would turn down West Ham’s advances due to the fact they can not offer European football but Pellegrini’s side have convinced the Frenchman to join.
“I feel really great,” he told the club’s official website. “I think it’s a really good opportunity for me to be here.
“It means a lot [to be the record signing]. It proves that the club [has] really wanted me for a long time. I felt this desire to sign me and I’m really happy to sign, also. It is an ambitious club, a nice club, a nice city and nice fans too.
“For me I can guarantee that I will give 100% for the club because the club has given me this confidence and I will try to give it back every day in every game.
“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.”
Haller spent the last two years with Frankfurt and the 25-year-old was a revelation for the Bundesliga outfit last season.
He finished the 2018/19 campaign as the highest WhoScored rated player (7+ appearances) in the Europa League (7.72) and played a direct hand in 24 Bundesliga goals (15 goals, nine assists).
