Record signing confirmed

  • by Matthew O'Greel
  • Tuesday, 10th July 2007

West Ham have confirmed the capture of £7.5m striker Craig Bellamy.

The club announced this morning that the 27-year-old Welsh international has signed a five-year-deal, thought to be worth around £45k per week.

Talking via whufc.com, Bellamy announced that he was 'delighted' to be a Hammer:

"It's taken a little bit longer than I would have liked but now I can look forward to the challenge ahead," he said.

"I had a lot to weigh up, and had to make sure that any move was the right one for me and not just an off the cuff reaction. In the end I decided that West Ham United was the best move for me, and that's why I'm sitting here now.

"I wanted to make sure that, if I left Liverpool, it would be to a club that is going to be pushing for Europe. I want to play in Europe, it's important to me, and I felt that same drive and ambition here at West Ham.

"Obviously it would be naïve of me to say that we are going to qualify for the Champions League next season, but that's one thing we are really going to be pushing for here in the future."

Bellamy becomes Alan Curbishley's fourth signing of what is already proving to be a busy summer, following the capture of Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Richart Wright.

West Ham United FC - top ten transfers

1. Craig Bellamy £7.5m (Liverpool, 2007)
2. Dean Ashton £7m+ (Norwich, 2006)
3. Scott Parker £7m (Newcastle, 2007)
4. Matthew Upson £6m+ (Birmingham, 2007)
5. Julien Faubert £6m (Bordeaux, 2007)
6. Tomas Repka £5.5m (Fiorentina, 2001)
7. Luis Boa Morte £5m (Fulham, 2007)
7. Don Hutchison £5m (Everton, 2000)
9. Freddie Kanoute £4m (Lyon, 2000)
10. David James £3.5m (Aston Villa, 2001)

* '+' indicates additional clauses

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