Wolves turned down West Ham's initial £25m offer for Max Kilman; defender signed a long-term deal at Molineux last summer after interest from Napoli; Kilman joined Wolves from Maidenhead in 2018 for £40,000; National League club stand to make a significant amount from the deal
Saturday 6 July 2024 12:54, UK
West Ham have completed the £40m signing of Max Kilman from Wolves, with the central defender signing a seven-year deal.
Kilman worked under new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui at Molineux and now becomes his third signing at the London Stadium, following the arrivals of Luis Guilherme and Wes Foderingham.
After turning down West Ham's initial £25m offer, Wolves held out for £40m for their captain, who signed a long-term deal last summer after interest from Napoli.
Kilman told West Ham's website: "It's an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player. As soon as I was aware of the interest from the club it was an opportunity I was keen to pursue, so I couldn't be more delighted to be here.
"I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves - he's a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here.
"West Ham is a massive club and I feel this is the natural next step forward in my career. Playing in front of a passionate fanbase, with 62,500 supporters packing out London Stadium every other week, is something I am incredibly excited about.
"Having spoken at length to both Julen and Tim [Steidten, sporting director], I was hugely encouraged about the ambition of the club and their plans for the future. They want to make a big noise here at West Ham and as a new player coming in, that's an incredible thing to hear.
"I'm looking forward to getting down to work and preparing for an exciting season ahead."
Kilman leaves Wolves after six years, having joined from Maidenhead in a £40,000 deal in August 2018. The National League side will receive a significant sell-on fee.
Steidten added: "We're delighted to have secured Max's signature - he was one of our top targets in the central defensive area in this transfer window so we couldn't be happier to have completed the deal to bring him to West Ham United.
"This is a serious and notable moment for West Ham United - the signing of an established, proven English Premier League central defender in the peak years of his career.
"He has many great qualities as a defender. He's a strong, powerful centre-back, who possesses the leadership qualities that are so important in that area of the pitch.
"Julen and I have spoken at length about the kind of characters we want to bring to West Ham and Max fits the bill.
"Max's arrival shows the ambition of the board to bring big players to the football club. I'm sure the West Ham fans are as excited as we all are about this signing."
West Ham could be in the market for two central defenders this summer, with Nayef Aguerd's future at the club uncertain amid strong interest from Saudi Arabia and Angelo Ogbonna having left at the end of his contract.
Internal discussions continue over whether they will go back in for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo after having a €30m (£25.4m) bid rejected by the French club.
West Ham are also in talks with Lyon over the signing of Republic of Ireland international defender Jake O'Brien.
Last month, the Hammers saw a deal to sign Flamengo defender Fabricio Bruno break down over personal terms.
Maidenhead chairman Peter Griffin told Sky Sports News the sell-on clause inserted in the deal that took Kilman to Wolves could "profoundly change the course of the club".
"Tremendously proud," said Griffin after Kilman's move to West Ham. "When Max was with us, we knew he was a real talent but I'd be lying to say I knew how good his talent was.
"His attitude has helped him progress and we're delighted for him.
"There's always a negotiation about price and we always put a sell-on clause in. Sometimes it pays off. It's fair to say this is a big deal.
"It's an amount that could profoundly change the course of the club. We're a part-time team competing in the National League, but we have a women's team, a development squad for girls, an academy and a community scheme.
"The money coming in is not just going to affect the men's first team, it's going to affect the women's team, what we do in our community and the infrastructure."
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
