West Ham make £45million Sebastian Haller record transfer as French striker signs five-year deal

SEBASTIAN HALLER has become West Ham's record signing after they landed the French striker for £45million.

The Hammers announced the former Eintracht Frankfurt hitman has penned a five-year deal to become the club's fourth signing of the summer.

After completing his medical yesterday, Haller's fee eclipses the initial £41m paid for Felipe Anderson last summer.

Reported by West Ham's official site, he said: "I feel really great. I think it’s a really good opportunity for me to be here.

"It means a lot (to be record signing). It proves that the club (has) really wanted me for a long time. I felt this desire to sign me and I’m really happy to sign, also. it is an ambitious club, a nice club, a nice city and nice fans too.

";For me I can guarantee that I will give 100% for the club because the club has given me this confidence and I will try to give it back every day in every game.

"I will always give 100% and respect the club. I think this is a normal thing and that I can guarantee. I know it’s a big transfer and there is a lot of expectation around me, and I just want to make people proud of this transfer and I will give everything I have."

I just want to make people proud of this transfer and I will give everything I have.

Haller on becoming West Ham's most expensive player

The 25-year-old began his professional career at Auxerre and moved to FC Utrecht in 2015.

After two years in Holland, he made the switch to Bundesliga side Frankfurt.

Last season he banged in 20 goals, helping the Germans to the Europa League semi-finals where they lost to Chelsea.

And he will be desperate to have more success in East London than most strikers to have signed for the Hammers in recent years.

Since David Gold and David Sullivan took over in 2010, they have had 38 centre-forwards at the club.

However, only SEVEN have scored double figures in a season, including the recently-departed Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic.

Remarkably, 16 of the 38 failed to score a single goal - Simone Zaza and Nene fall into that category, as does Jordan Hugill.

The former Preston hitman signed for £10m last year and earned around £3m in wages.

But he featured for just 35 minutes in the Premier League, meaning he pocketed a staggering £86,857.14 per minute.