West Ham’s Haller joins Ajax for cutprice 22.5 million euros

Striker Sebastien Haller has joined Ajax Amsterdam from West Ham on a four and a half year deal, the Dutch champions announced on Friday.

“Ajax, West Ham United and Sebastien Haller have reached an agreement for the transfer of the French-Ivorian player,” said a statement on the Ajax website.

The club said the fee of 22.5 million euros ($27.5 million) — considerably less than the estimated 50 million euros West Ham paid Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 — makes the 26-year-old the most expensive signing in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Haller, who was born in France but has played twice for Ivory Coast, will wear the number 22 and teams up again with Erik ten Hag, who was his coach when he emerged at Utrecht between 2014 and 2017.

“It’s like I am coming back home,” said Haller in a video tweeted by Ajax. “Looking forward to starting.”

Haller scored seven goals for West Ham last season and had hit three more in the current Premier League campaign.

He is in line to make his debut for the Eredivisie leaders on Sunday against title challengers PSV Eindhoven.

Ajax will meet Lille in the last 32 of Europa League in February.