English defender happy to join Hammers

After five years at Old Trafford, Aaron Wan Bissaka has exited Manchester United for West Ham United after joining the Hammers on Tuesday on a seven-year deal costing West Ham £15m.

Wan Bissaka moved to Manchester United in 2019 for £50M and made 190 appearances for the Red Devils but he now arrives in West London as their eighth summer signing after the arrivals of Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Niclas Fullkrug, Wes Foderingham, Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez to London Stadium.

His departure from Manchester and return to London is not surprising, especially after his spot at United became uncertain. When he moved from Crystal Palace to Manchester United, it was under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019.

However, after the exit of the Norwegian, Bissaka lost his place in the starting lineup in 2021 and after Erik ten Hag’s appointment in 2022, he played 64 matches under the Dutchman in the last two seasons.

Born in London, Bissaka admits moving to the Irons was a no-brainer, especially after Manchester United brought in new defenders from Bayern Munich.

“It was a no-brainer for me to join West Ham – I’m excited and happy to be here. I can’t wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players, and push on from there. I see a team that is in it together, that will push each other to win, and a group that has got each others’ backs through thick and thin, so being part of that and having that insurance helps a lot when you are surrounded by a good squad.” said Wan-Bissaka.

Manchester United are progressing in their move for Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui who was one of the big influences in Wan-Bissaka joining the Hammers. Wan Bissaka is expected to make his West Ham debut when the Hammers play their first 2024-25 Premier League match against Aston Villa on 17 August.