West Ham United defender Aji Alese secures permanent move to Sunderland

Fri 15 July 2022 15:40, UK

West Ham young defender Aji Alese has left the club permanently to join Sunderland.

The Hammers have confirmed the news via their official Twitter handle on Friday (15 July) that the youngster has left the club for an “undisclosed” fee.

ExWHUemployee has added on his Patreon (15 July) that the player has signed a three-year deal with the Black Cats.

We can confirm Ajibola Alese has joined Sunderland on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.

Everyone at the Club would like to thank Aji for his hard work, commitment and leadership and wish him the very best for the future.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 15, 2022

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Surprise

The news has come as a big surprise to the West Ham fans.

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Alese is thought to be one of the promising talents at the club, and it’s really surprising that he has been offloaded permanently.

It was anticipated that he would be heading out on loan this summer but Sunderland offered a fee which the Hammers thought was agreeable.

The youngster has made two Premier League appearances for the club and spent loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Cambridge United.

The centre-back featured in one Europa League game for the club last season, and many expected that he would make further progress this season.

At the same time, the Hammers have bolstered their defence this summer, and they now have a strong set-up even if Issa Diop leaves the club.

David Moyes would have struggled to provide him enough game time, and probably a move away from the club was the right call.