- West Ham have sold their Ivorian striker Sebastien Haller for £22m
- Haller joined the Hammers in a record signing of £45million from Eintracht Frankfurt
- Club boss David Moyes wants the funds generated to be put towards a replacement striker
West Ham’s club record signing Sebastien Haller has joined Ajax for around £20.25m, nearly half of what he bought for.
The Ivory Coast international has signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the Dutch champions in a move that representatives a huge financial loss for the London side.
Haller became the Premier League side’s record signing when he joined for £45million from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019.
The club’s owners felt Haller did not fit the template manager David Moyes wanted, or that the 26-year-old had shown a desire to adjust to it.
Moyes has been told he can use the funds from the sale and it is likely a striker will be signed this month.
Haller had grabbed seven goals this season for David Moyes’s side, although four of those had come in the Carabao Cup in fixtures against Charlton and Hull.
He had been a regular in the Premier League, too, appearing in 16 of the Hammers’ 17 matches this season. But his return of just three goals has contributed to the decision to allow him to leave.
Following confirmation of his move Ivory Coast international Haller, 26, told Ajax TV:
“This is a club where I can compete in the Champions League and chase titles every season and it’s that winning mentality that suits me.”
Haller was one of a number of expensive signings made by former manager Manuel Pellegrini who did not perform to the levels anticipated.
Pellegrini was sacked in December 2019 before Moyes eventually steered the club away from relegation trouble.
