West Ham United have announced the signing of Paraguay international Fabian Balbuena on a three-year deal.
The 26-year-old defender has joined the Hammers from Corinthians, and will boost a defensive unit which has already been strengthened by the arrivals of Ryan Fredericks and Issa Diop this summer.
The seven-time Paraguay international has followed Lukasz Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko in making the move to the London Stadium ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
"I'm really excited for this new challenge and my target is to meet the demands of the Premier League," Balbuena told the club's official website. "Obviously to be at West Ham is an extra motivation, and I want to do my best to help the team."
Meanwhile, West Ham's director of football Mario Husillos added: "We welcome Fabian to West Ham United. He is somebody we have monitored for a long time and we are very pleased to have taken the opportunity to sign him.
"He is a player of great strength, character and personality. To be captain of Corinthians, one of the biggest clubs in South America, requires a very strong mentality, and he also has international experience with Paraguay.
"He has won many individual honours and was often named one of the best central defenders in Brazil for his statistics. We believe he will improve our squad and our defensive qualities. He is the perfect age – a player for the present and the future – and he can be a very important player for many years at West Ham."
Balbuena leaves Corinthians having made over 100 appearances for the Brazilian outfit.
Matt Law
