West Ham signed Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka for a reported £15 million ($19 million) on Tuesday.
Wan-Bissaka, who has agreed to a seven-year contract with West Ham, spent the last five years at Old Trafford. The 26-year-old right-back made 190 appearances for United following his transfer from Crystal Palace in 2019. Although he played in United’s surprise FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last season, he was not part of manager Erik ten Hag’s plans for the upcoming season.
Wan-Bissaka expressed excitement about returning to London, where he was born and feels a strong connection. “It’s an amazing feeling to be back in London and I’m excited for what’s coming,” he said. “Being back in this city means a lot to me.”
United are expected to replace Wan-Bissaka with Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui. Wan-Bissaka becomes West Ham’s eighth signing of the close season, joining Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Niclas Fullkrug, Wes Foderingham, Max Kilman, and Guido Rodriguez.
Wan-Bissaka looked forward to joining his new team, saying, “I can’t wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players, and push on from there. I see a team that is in it together and will push each other to win.”
West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, highlighted Wan-Bissaka’s Premier League experience as a key asset for new manager Julen Lopetegui. “He’s exactly the type of player we’re looking to attract while in the prime years of his career,” Steidten noted. “He’s an incredibly talented defender, superb in one-on-one situations, and versatile. With over 170 Premier League games, he knows the division inside out.”
Wan-Bissaka may make his debut for West Ham in their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 17.