Hammers seal Behrami swoop
23 Jul 2008 - 13:57:41
West Ham United have sealed the £5million signing of versatile Switzerland international Valon Behrami from Serie A outfit Lazio.
The 23-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, has penned a five-year contract with the Hammers to end a five-year stint in Italy, where he has also played for Genoa and Hellas Verona.
He told his new club's official website: "I am very happy to at last be able to sign for West Ham. For me it is a dream come true to play for the club and in the Premier League.
"After the European Championships I spoke with West Ham who expressed their interest in me coming here.
"It was important for me to talk with everyone here and when I did I was very pleased to see what they wanted from me and what the plans are now and in the future for the team.
"It was something that enabled me to make my decision very quickly and now I can't wait to train and play for West Ham."
Behrami featured for the Swiss national team at the World Cup finals two years ago, while he started all three games for the co-hosts at Euro 2008 this summer.
Meanwhile, left-back George McCartney has also pledged his long-term future to the Irons by agreeing a new five-year contract at Upton Park.