West Ham announce signing of Max Kilman

West Ham United have completed the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Max Kilman on a seven-year contract.

The defender has joined the Hammers in a deal reported to be worth £40m and he will reunite with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium.

Speaking to West Ham's club channels, Kilman said: "It's an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player.

"As soon as I was aware of the interest from the Club, it was an opportunity I was keen to pursue, so I couldn’t be more delighted to be here.

"I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves - he's a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here.

"West Ham is a massive Club and I feel this is the natural next step forward in my career.

"Playing in front of a passionate fan-base, with 62,500 supporters packing out London Stadium every other week, is something I am incredibly excited about.

"Having spoken at length to both Julen and Tim [Steidten], I was hugely encouraged about the ambition of the Club and their plans for the future. They want to make a big noise here at West Ham and as a new player coming in, that’s an incredible thing to hear.

"I'm looking forward to getting down to work and preparing for an exciting season ahead."

Kilman becomes the third signing of the Lopetegui era, following the additions of exciting winger luis Guilherme and veteran goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

The 27-year-old returns to the city of his birth following a six-season stay at Wolves, where he made 151 appearances and was captain of the club at the time of his departure.

A portion of Kilman's transfer fee will go to former club Maidenhead United, who compete in the fifth tier of English football and will rake in a multi-million sum.

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