Sullivan hopes Zabaleta’s experience will aid West Ham

Joint West Ham chairman David Sullivan is over the moon that the experienced Pablo Zabaleta has agreed to join the Hammers are being released by Manchester City.

The Argentine will arrive at the London Stadium on July 1 having signed a two-year deal in East London and will add much needed experience to the West Ham backline.

Sullivan hopes the 32-year-old full-back will be able to offer guidance to young defenders like Sam Byram, Reece Oxford, Reece Burke and Declan Rice over next 24 months.

“I have been working on this solid for the last ten days since Manchester City gave us permission to speak to the player and I am absolutely delighted that Pablo has agreed to become a Hammer,” Sullivan said.

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

“He is a top player and a supreme professional. He plays for one of the top countries in the world in Argentina and he’ll be a fantastic addition to our squad.

“We are thoroughly looking forward to seeing not only what Pablo himself can do on the pitch, but also the positive effect he can have on the promising young players in our squad, who he will no doubt mentor and guide during his time with us.”