Edvin Austbø Joins West Ham United on Four-Year Deal

Edvin Austbø has completed his move to West Ham United, signing a four-year deal at London Stadium with an option for a further year, as the club continues to arm itself for a promotion push.

The 21-year-old Norwegian forward will wear the No 35 shirt and arrives with a clear sense of what he wants to achieve in claret and blue.

“It feels really good to be a Hammer,” Austbø said. “Ever since I knew about the interest, I wanted to come here and have butterflies and am really looking forward to start playing for this amazing club.

“Obviously, the ambitions of the club are big and it's also for me as a player.

“The talks I had with Nuno and Nils Koppen were amazing and I just felt from the start that this was a good match and that I really wanted to come here.

“I watched English football on TV when I was a little kid. Everyone in Norway knows West Ham. It's such a big club and a club that belongs on the highest level in England.”

For West Ham, this is not a speculative punt. It is a long-scouted move.

Director of Player Recruitment Nils Koppen underlined just how closely the club has monitored Austbø’s rise in Norway.

“Edvin is a player we have tracked closely for some time and we are very happy to bring him to West Ham United,” Koppen said.

“He has made very impressive progress and built strong experience in Norway, and there has been a lot of interest in him across Europe.

“We believe he has the right attributes, strengths and potential to be successful in English football. He is a quick, energetic and intelligent player, who will bring another positive option to our attacking profile.

“Edvin is highly motivated to take this next step in his career, and everyone here at the Club will do everything we can to help him to settle in as quickly as possible.”

Austbø now steps into a club demanding an immediate return to the Premier League. How quickly No 35 adapts to English football may say plenty about how fast West Ham can climb back to where he believes they belong.