Sebastien Haller completes £20m Ajax move from West Ham

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Ajax have confirmed that they have completed a £20 million (€22.5m) deal to sign West Ham forward Sebastien Haller.

He arrives having signed a contract that will see him tied to the Johan Cruyff Arena side until 2025.

Haller joined the Hammers in July 2019 from Eintracht Frankfurt but struggled to make the impression that the Hammers wanted of him.

After 18 months at the club, he left after scoring 14 times in 54 appearances, including 10 in the Premier League.

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A statement from the Dutch club confirming the deal reads: “Ajax, West Ham United and Sebastien Haller have reached an agreement for the transfer of the French-Ivorian player. The striker signed a contract that is effective immediately with a duration of four and a half seasons, through June 20, 2025. Ajax pays a transfer fee of 22,500,000 euro to West Ham United.”

The Premier League club added: “West Ham United would like to thank Sebastien Haller for his contribution to the club and wish him all the best for his future career.”

Haller’s goalscoring and playmaking record in Europe’s top divisions

Haller is not going to unknown territory by moving to the Eredivisie. Indeed, it was at Utrecht where he first made his mark as a professional after initially coming through the academy of Auxerre.

He was a prolific scorer in the Netherlands top flight previously, scoring 41 times in 82 outings during a previous two-and-a-half year stint.

That strong form continued in the Bundesliga but was never replicated in the Premier League, where Haller was incorrectly pigeonholed as a target man. Instead, his talents are better suited to playing in a more dynamic role.

Meanwhile, among the strikers being linked to take Haller’s place in the West Ham squad is Moussa Dembele of Lyon. Ajax youngster Lassina Traore is another candidate currently linked in the press, and so too is Bournemouth’s Josh King.

It seems, however, that West Ham’s interest in re-signing Marko Arnautovic has died away.