West Ham have added to their defensive options before the new Premier League season with the signing of the left-back Arthur Masuaku from Olympiakos.
The 22-year-old’s arrival was announced on Monday, with the manager Slaven Bilic confirming after Sunday’s friendly defeat to Juventus that a deal was close.
Finding a left-back had become a priority for Bilic after losing Aaron Cresswell for up to four months with a knee injury and he has now addressed that issue . Masuaku has signed a four-year deal with the club.
The former France Under-19 international won two Greek Superleague titles, as well as the Greek Cup, during his two-year stint with Olympiakos, who signed Masuaku after he impressed after breaking into the Valenciennes side as a teenager.
“It’s a big honour for me to be part of this club,” Masuaka told West Ham’s official website. “I was speaking with my agent about some opportunities, but when he told me about West Ham and also the coach, I didn’t think twice, so in my mind, it was West Ham.
“Now, to be able to play with players like Dimitri Payet, I was thinking on the way here, it’s going to be crazy. I can’t wait to play with him and also all the rest of the team.”
Although the club did not disclose the fee when confirming Masuaku’s arrival, Jack Sullivan, son of the co-chairman David Sullivan, posted on Twitter that they had parted with £6m for the defender.
Masuaku will go into the squad for West Ham’s opening Premier League fixture at Chelsea on Monday but he is ineligible for the Europa League play-off tie with Astra Giurgiu, having already represented Olympiakos in the Champions League qualifying stages.