West Ham United confirm signing of England international midfielder | OneFootball

West Ham United have announced the permanent signing of Katie Zelem on a three-year contract from London City Lionesses.

The England international spent the second half of this season on loan at the club and went on to make nine appearances in all competitions, as Rita Guarino’s side secured a tenth-place finish in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

The two-time WSL champion, with more than 150 top-flight appearances to her name, used her wealth of experience to play a pivotal role for the Hammers and she is looking forward to prolonging her stay in Claret and Blue.

“I’m so excited to be joining West Ham United on a permanent basis,” she said. “From the moment I arrived, I felt so welcome and appreciated. West Ham feels like home. I’ve found a second family here and that made this decision a lot easier.

“I’m really comfortable here and I’m able to be my true authentic self. That allows me to give my best to the team in every game and make the impact that I know that I can.

“Being reunited with Rita has helped me settle into the Club too – it’s been amazing to reconnect. She’s seen me grow from a 21-year-old into a 30-year-old, and we have a great relationship and level of trust both on and off the pitch.”

When the NO.10 made the move to east London in January, it marked a reunion with Guarino, having previously worked together at Juventus where they won the club’s first-ever Serie A title in 2017/18.

That wasn’t the first piece of silverware Zelem had lifted in her career though, having won back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool prior to joining Le Bianconere, also winning the Reds’ Young Player of the Year award in her first campaign at the club.

After departing Juventus, the 30-year-old went on to score 32 goals in 161 appearances for Manchester United across a six-year spell at the club, having won promotion to the top flight at the first time of asking in 2018/19, before lifting the Adobe Women’s FA Cup as captain in 2024.

Former Angel City midfielder Zelem also has pedigree on the international stage with 12 senior England caps to her name, which includes games at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.