West Ham United have announced the signing of French defender Rennes and the Moroccan national football team, Nayef Akrad, in a deal worth 30 million pounds ($37 million), according to press reports.
The 26-year-old defense magnate, who spent two seasons with Rennes, signed a five-year contract with the team of Scottish coach David Moyes.
“I was really excited when I heard about West Ham United’s interest,” said the left defender.
“When I heard about it, I knew that I needed to go to the Premier League, because it is a dream for every player.”
“West Ham is a historic club. I saw some of their matches this year, I saw the fans and the atmosphere was great.”
Moyes, whose team finished seventh in the league last season, said Akrd had been on the team’s radar for some time.
“I am delighted to welcome Nayef to West Ham United. We’ve been following his development for some time and I’m very happy that we were able to sign him. He is a great addition that will enhance our defensive options.”
He started his professional career with the Al-Fath Rabat team under the supervision of the current coach of Wydad Casablanca, Walid Rekraki, and with him reached the final of the local cup competition in 2015 and crowned the league title in 2016.
After four seasons, crowning the African Nations Cup for local players with his country in 2018, he moved to the French Dijon ranks and played with him for two seasons before landing in Rennes in the summer of 2020.