TO THE MAX
West Ham sign Max Kilman for £40m from Wolves with non-league club earning MILLIONS from transfer
The Hammers could still move for another defender
MAX KILMAN is delighted to be reunited with with Julen Lopetegui following his £40million move from Wolves.
The defender, 27, has signed a seven year deal at the London Stadium and was one of Lopetegui's top targets having been made captain by the Spaniard at Molineux.
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West Ham attempted to sign Kilman last summer and, as first revealed by SunSport, quickly revived their interest after appointing the former Wolves boss.
Wolves will pay around £4m to National League side Maidenhead United, from whom they signed Kilman for £40,000 in 2018 due to a 10 per cent sell on clause.
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.
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“I’m looking forward to getting down to work and preparing for an exciting season ahead.”
West Ham are keen to bolster their defensive line after a terrible season at the back last term - conceding a club record 74 Premier League goals.
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Technical director Steitden said: “We’re delighted to have secured Max’s signature – he was one of our top targets in the central defensive area in this transfer window, so we couldn’t be happier to have completed the deal to bring him to West Ham United.
“This is a serious and notable moment for West Ham United – the signing of an established, proven English Premier League central defender in the peak years of his career.
“He has many great qualities as a defender. He’s a strong, powerful centre-back, who possesses the leadership qualities that are so important in that area of the pitch.
“Julen and I have spoken at length about the kind of characters we want to bring to West Ham, and Max fits the bill.
“Max’s arrival shows the ambition of the Board to bring big players to the football club.
"I’m sure the West Ham fans are as excited as we all are about this signing.”
Peter Griffin, Chairman of Maidenhead, hailed the transfer as "momentous" for the club.
He said: "Ultimately this is a fantastic outcome for club which will benefit from one of the largest, if not the largest, transfer payments an English non league club has ever received, which is something to celebrate.
"This is testament to the hard work of Alan Devonshire and his coaching team past and present, as well our Academy programme which every year is developing players which move into our first team squad.
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"This is a momentous day for Maidenhead United FC, which gives us the opportunity to profoundly change the future of the club.
"A supporters meeting will be held in due course to give more details on how the cash injection will be used on and off the pitch."
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