West Ham United have, as expected, signed Al Jazira midfielder Manuel Lanzini on a season-long loan deal with the option to make the deal permanent. 

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder joins the Hammers on loan from the UAE side and becomes their seventh senior acquisition in what has been a busy summer at Upton Park.

Speaking the club website after completing his move, Lanzini said: “This is very emotional because it is one of the best teams I have ever signed for.

"It is a very important step for my career and for my future.

“I am looking forward to what is a new era for me. I’m very happy and I look forward to meeting my new teammates. 

“This is a new challenge for me and that can only help in the future. It will test my ability in one of the best leagues in the world, so I am looking forward to getting started.

“I am someone who always gives 100 per cent. I’m an attacking player, I can change the game’s tempo and I hope to give my maximum for the fans to appreciate me." 

Nicknamed The Jewel, Argentine Lanzini came through the youth ranks at River Plate and made his professional debut against Tigre at the age of 17, in August 2010.

He joined Fluminese on loan for the 2011/12 season, before returning to River Plate where he was a first team regular for two seasons prior to securing a move to Al-Jazira in the summer of 2014.

He became the youngest foreign player to play in the UAE Arabian Gulf League at the age of 21 and he scored eight goals in 24 appearances for Al-Jazira last season, helping them secure a second-place finish.