Kilman reunited with Lopetegui as he joins West Ham

West Ham United have signed Maximilian Kilman from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the 27-year-old defender agreeing a seven-year deal at the London Stadium.

Kilman is reunited with West Ham's head coach Julen Lopetegui, who was formerly in charge of Wolves.

The centre-back is the Hammers' third summer signing, following the arrival of winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras and goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

“I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves – he’s a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here," Kilman told West Ham's official website.

“Having spoken at length to both Julen and Tim [Steidten, technical director], I was hugely encouraged about the ambition of the Club and their plans for the future. They want to make a big noise here at West Ham and as a new player coming in, that’s an incredible thing to hear.

“I’m looking forward to getting down to work and preparing for an exciting season ahead.” 

Since his Premier League debut in May 2019, the 6ft 4in centre-back has made 127 appearances in the competition for Wolves and kept 31 clean sheets.

Kilman was named Wolves captain ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Prior to turning professional, Kilman played futsal for England and London Helvetica after being released by Fulham’s academy.

He also played non-league football, representing Welling United from 2014 to 2015, before making the switch to York Road with Maidenhead United between 2015 and 2018.

See: Eight things you need to know about Kilman

He will join West Ham for pre-season and their first preparation match ahead of 2024/25 is on 20 July against Dagenham & Redbridge. You can see clubs' friendly fixtures here.

West Ham open their Premier League season at home to Aston Villa on Saturday 17 August.

See: Summer 2024 transfers & news