West Ham boss David Moyes drops Sunderland transfer revelation | OneFootball

Sunderland beat off competition to sign 21-year-old defender Ajibola Alese from West Ham United, Hammers boss David Moyes has revealed.

Alese signed for the Championship club midway through June for an undisclosed fee and signed a three-year deal at the Stadium of Light, which includes an additional one-year option.

The defender is a product of the West Ham academy and was handed his debut by Moyes in 2020 but most of his senior experience has come while away from the club on loan at Accrington Stanley and Cambridge United.

He captained the Hammers’ U18s and U21s but was allowed to leave ahead of the new campaign as the east London club had already bolstered their options at centre-back.

Speaking to football.london, Moyes reflected on Alese’s departure and revealed that Sunderland beat off interest from multiple other clubs to win the race for his signature.

He explained: “We felt it was right he wanted to go. It was a good move. A couple of teams came in for him.

“It was good for the boy he has been a really good boy. He has worked well and we like him a lot. We thought to give him an opportunity was the best thing as we didn’t see a chance for him to heavily feature in the first team.”

Alese made his Black Cats debut in the 3-2 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

The 21-year-old came off the bench to replace Jack Clarke as Neil looked to defend their lead in the final moments of the Championship contest.

Think you’re a Sunderland expert? Take our 28 question quiz to really find out

1 of 28

Who did Sunderland sign Luke O'Nien from in 2018?

Swindon Town Oxford United Accrington Stanley Wycombe Wanderers

The Verdict

Signing Alese always looked like a bit of a coup and Moyes has now revealed that the Black Cats beat out competition to bring him to the North East.

We got a very small glimse of what he can offer against the Robins but you feel we could see him start against Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup in midweek.

It’s good news for Sunderland that the player wanted to leave the London Stadium in pursuit of regular football as it suggests he’s going to be hungry to impress.

Competition for places will be vital as the club look to establish themselves in the second tier.