Diamanti geezer

The club has announced the signing of Livorno striker Alessandro Diamanti from Serie A side Livorno.

The 26 year-old striker has signed a five-year deal having helped his former club to promotion last season via the play-off system. The fee has not been disclosed, although Livorno Director Of Sport Nelso Ricci was quoted earlier this week as saying that the club would be paying £5.5m over three years.

Hammers' Chief Executive Scott Duxbury, speaking on whufc.com publicly thanked Club sponsors SBOBet for their assistance in securing the deal and, although details of the "assistance" have not been released it has been suggested in the press that the online betting company may have made an advance payment of sponsorship monies in order to finance the deal.

Diamanti is described as a "free-kick specialist" and he scored 16 times in Serie B, including 6 in the last 10 games as Livorno pipped Brescia 5-2 on aggregate to clinch a spot in the top flight and may go into the squad for tomorrow's visit to Blackburn.

Diamanti, who has been given the no. 32 shirt, boosts Gianfranco Zola's options up front where, up to now, Carlton Cole has been the only senior striker.