West Ham United have completed the signing of Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet for £17.5m.
The London club activated the release clause in the Ivory Coast star’s Clarets contract and the 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract with a further one-year option with the Hammers, reports Sky Sports.
Cornet has opted for the number 14 shirt in David Moyes’ squad and will likely make his debut against Nottingham Forest next week.
The forward leaves Burnley after just one season, which resulted in the Clarets getting relegated to the Championship. The 25-year-old played 26 times in the Premier League last season, scoring nine goals and assisting a further one.
Welcome to West Ham United, Maxwel Cornet! ? pic.twitter.com/dLRWhGLcxg
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 5, 2022
David Moyes wanted to sign a left-sided attacker this summer and Cornet can not only play in that position but several others. This is a big positive in signing the 25-year-old and it is a reason so many Premier League clubs wanted the forward.
According to talkSPORT, Newcastle were ready to trigger the £17.5m release clause in Cornet’s Burnley contract but were beaten to the punch by West Ham.
As for the others, Everton had a bid to take Cornet on loan rejected by Burnley and signed his former teammate Dwight McNeil instead; while the 25-year-old failed to agree personal terms with Nottingham Forest resulting in that move collapsing; Chelsea also considered a move for the forward earlier in the transfer window but have failed to make their interest official with a bid, states the report.
