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West Ham confirmed the £5.5million capture of 23-year-old Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang on a 4-year deal.

The former Spain U21 international has been likened to Ivory Coast and Manchester City powerhouse Yaya Toure in recent years and had also attracted interest from Tottenham and AC Milan this summer.

But the Hammers have tempted the highly-rated midfielder to east London as he becomes the club’s first major signing of the summer and the second overall after Birmingham City’s Darren Randolph arrived on a free two weeks ago.

SEE ALSO: SIX right-backs West Ham should target this summer

Obiang is the first player to arrive since Slaven Bilic was named as the club’s new manager and represents a huge hint that there is no interest in making Alex Song’s loan spell from Barcelona a permanent one.

Obiang told the club’s official website: “I’m very happy to have signed.

“We have been talking about this for a long time and now I’ve finally got the chance to come here.

“I went on holiday after the season had finished and I was looking forward to receiving that call to tell me where and when to sign for this Club!

“I’m very excited to play in the Premier League. It’s a style of football that will help me to progress as a player and as a person, so it will be very good.

“I think Bilic is a manager that can do very well here. I know that he was a West Ham player and he did a very well with the Croatian national team.

“He is a manager that likes to play good football and I really like that so I am sure that we will get along very well.”

The 6 foot 1 inch star has represented Spain at U17, U19 and U21 level and became an important fixture in Sampdoria’s midfield over the last couple of seasons.

Obiang scored three goals in 34 first team outings for Sampdoria last term.

Obiang’s Key Stats 

Pedro Obiang Characteristics
(via WhoScored.com)

Obiang can play anywhere across the midfield, as well as a defensive midfielder…

Pedro Obiang
(via WhoScored.com)

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