Nayef Aguerd: West Ham complete £30m deal to sign Rennes defender
Nayef Aguerd scored five goals and made three assists in 66 league matches with Rennes West Ham have completed the signing of Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd from Ligue 1 side Rennes for £30m. The Premier League club have confirmed that the 26-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Hammers. The left-sided player made 66 league appearances for Rennes after joining from fellow French club Dijon in 2020. "I was really excited when I heard about West Ham's interest," he said. "I knew I needed to go to the Premier League, it's a dream for every player." The transfer fee for Aguerd, who has 25 caps for Morocco, is the fourth-highest paid by West Ham, behind only those for Sebastien Haller, Felipe Anderson and Kurt Zouma. In a farewell post to fans on social media, Aguerd said it was a "difficult decision" to leave Rennes as he had enjoyed "exceptional times" at the club. West Ham reached the Europa League semi-finals last season while finishing seventh in the Premier League to again qualify for Europe. "West Ham is a historic club," Aguerd added. "I saw a few of their games this year, and I saw the fans and the atmosphere were fantastic, with the bubbles!" Manager David Moyes said he hoped Aguerd would help the Hammers challenge for a top-six place again next term to match their finish in 2020-21. "He's a great addition that will add to our defensive options," said Moyes. "I have been really impressed with Nayef's character and attitude during our discussions. "He has a great desire to improve and be successful, and I am sure he will fit in very well to the environment we have at Rush Green." Aguerd was an ever-present in his country's run to last season's Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and also played in both World Cup play-off matches against DR Congo as Morocco qualified for Qatar. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
West Ham sign Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd from Rennes
Nayef Aguerd, left, has completed a dream move to the Premier League (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire) West Ham have signed Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd from French side Rennes. The 26-year-old, who has been capped 25 times by his country, has agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club. Hammers manager David Moyes had been eager to recruit a left-footed centre-back during the summer window. Aguerd will provide competition for Craig Dawson, Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma at London Stadium. Moyes told the club website: “I am delighted to welcome Nayef to West Ham United. We have tracked his progress for some time and I’m very pleased that we have been able to complete the signing. “He’s a great addition that will add to our defensive options. “I have been really impressed with Nayef’s character and attitude during our discussions. He has a great desire to improve and be successful, and I am sure he will fit in very well to the environment we have at Rush Green (training ground).” Aguerd began his career with FUS Rabat in his homeland before moving to France in 2018 to join Dijon and then transferring to Rennes in 2020. “I was really excited when I heard about West Ham United’s interest,” said the player. “When I heard about it, I knew I needed to go to the Premier League, because it’s a dream for every player. “West Ham is a historic club. I talked with the manager and he showed me that he was very interested, so it was easy to choose to come to West Ham.”
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