• 26-year-old striker agrees five-year deal at Upton Park• 'I am happy to be at West Ham and to play for Gianfranco Zola'West Ham have announced the signing of Livorno forward Alessandro Diamanti. The 26-year-old, who moves to Upton Park for an undisclosed fee, has signed a five-year contract with the Hammers."I am very happy to be at West Ham United and to get the chance to play for Gianfranco Zola," he said. "I chose West Ham because the club have the tradition of playing great football. Also, because the West Ham fans are really passionate and that is the way I am."Zola has been looking to strengthen his striking options, with Dean Ashton a long-term absentee and only Carlton Cole and youngsters Zavon Hines and Frank Nouble at his disposal. The Hammers were recently linked with Diamanti and moved after failing to agree a deal for Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh."I am delighted we have been able to secure this transfer at last as we feel that Alessandro will be a perfect complement to our existing attacking options," said chief executive, Scott Duxbury."It has been a case of working around the clock to ensure we landed another of our key targets and the three of us are grateful for the supporters' understanding of what we are trying to achieve with our exciting squad."West Ham UnitedTransfer windowPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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