Julius Okorie
West Ham have completed the signing of Wolves captain Max Kilman for £40 million on a seven-year contract.
The defender is reunited with Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui, who made him skipper while head coach at Molineux.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWolves rejected West Ham’s opening bid of £25m but accepted the improved offer for the player they signed from Maidenhead for £40,000 in 2018.
The National League side are also due to bank a 10% sell-on of £4 million from the deal.
Kilman, 27, said: “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.”
Kilman made 151 appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals, since making his debut in May 2019.
He joins goalkeeper Wes Foderingham and Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme as summer signings at London Stadium.
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Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs, who signed Kilman in his previous position as chief scout, said his departure was a “bittersweet moment” but a “deal that worked for everybody”.
Hobbs said: “He’s someone you can’t help but root for. I don’t know anyone at the club who would have a negative word about him.
“Maybe people will realise what he did on the pitch more now he’s left than when he was here.”
Wolves may welcome the fee but they will miss the player. There will be more spectacular signings this summer but few more sensible. This is a defender with no obvious weaknesses in his game. Lopetegui and West Ham will be the beneficiaries.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
