West Ham United FC

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• Manager:Avram Grant

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Hammers clinch swap deal

01 Sep 2009 - 07:12:17

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West Ham United have signed Fiorentina defender Manuel Da Costa, with striker Savio Nsereko moving in the opposite direction.

Twenty-three-year-old Da Costa has penned a three-year contract at Upton Park, with Nsereko leaving the Irons only a matter of months after arriving from Brescia.

Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club's official website: "This is a good deal for everyone concerned.

"Although not for the want of trying, Savio has struggled to make an impact for various reasons, while Manuel is also looking for a fresh start.

"We will continue to look at home and across Europe for the brightest prospects as they best fit our vision for this club's future.

"Had our financial situation been different we would have preferred to have kept and developed Savio.

"However, we are required to make savings and our policy has always been to sell players on the fringes rather than established first-team players.

"With the fee we received for Savio and 50 per cent sell-on together with acquiring the highly-rated Da Costa, it represented a great deal."