West Ham signed Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus from Ajax in a deal worth a reported £38 million ($A75 million) on Sunday.
Kudus agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club and becomes their fourth major signing since the end of last season.
The 23-year-old scored 19 goals and laid on seven assists in all competitions for Ajax last season.
He scored a hat-trick in Ajax’s Europa League playoff win over Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Thursday.
“I’ve been dreaming to play in a league like this since I was a kid,” Kudus told West Ham’s website.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment and I’m so happy to be here. But it doesn’t stop here, I want to keep going.
“I try my best to entertain the fans as I think that’s what football is all about. I can’t wait to get started.”
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Kudus has won 24 caps for Ghana and featured in last year’s World Cup in Qatar. He had played for Ajax since 2020 and won two Dutch titles with the club. West Ham had already signed Kudus’s Ajax teammate Edson Alvarez earlier in the summer.
England midfielder James Ward-Prowse and Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos have also arrived at the London Stadium as the Hammers spend the cash earned from Declan Rice’s £105 million ($A206m) sale to Arsenal.
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Mohammed to West Ham,” Hammers boss David Moyes said.
“He’s a terrific young talent, who has already shone at the very highest level for Ajax in the Champions League and made well over 150 senior appearances at the age of 23.
“It was no surprise to see so many top clubs chasing his signature this summer.”
Arsenal and Chelsea were both interested in the player, as was Brighton earlier in the window.
ARSENAL STAR OFF TO SPAIN ON LOAN
Real Sociedad signed Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney on loan for the season on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Scotland international joined the Gunners from Celtic in 2019 but fell out of favour behind Oleksandr Zinchenko and new signing Jurrien Timber — who is now injured.
“Playing in the Champions League is an incentive for any footballer,” Tierney told Real Sociedad TV.
“(Playing in La Liga) is a change for me, but I was looking forward to it. I’m passionate about challenges and I’m thrilled to be here.”
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