WEST HAM have revealed that they were only able to afford new striker Alessandro Diamanti after receiving an advanced payment from their sponsors.

SBOBET agreed to bring forward a due payment to the club in order to fund the £6million capture of Diamanti from Italian club Livorno before the transfer window slammed shut.

Defender Manuel Da Costa has also been drafted in from Fiorentina in a deal which saw young attacker Savio Nsereko move in the opposite direction.

West Ham CEO Scott Duxbury was grateful to the club's sponsors for helping them secure the services of Diamanti.

“We have an excellent relationship with SBOBET and they have proved perfect partners over the past year,” he said. “Their support in advancing a due payment to the club made sure we signed Alessandro ahead of rival clubs looking to secure his services. He promises to be a major addition to our squad, along with Manuel Da Costa, and I know Gianfranco (Zola) is excited to be working with both of them.”

The club revealed the two acquisitions at their Chadwell Heath training ground on Friday, and manager Gianfranco Zola admitted he was excited about what the pair can bring to the team.

He said: “The first impressions of Alessandro and Manuel are very positive. I have had four or five training sessions with Alessandro and he is showing us his quality. Manuel is a young boy with a lot of promise and we are hoping to bring out all of his talent.”