West Ham have confirmed a deal for Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral on a year-long loan with the option to buy at the end of the season. The 23-year-old has been on David Moyes’ radar for some time with the Hammers manager singling out Kral as one of his ‘players to watch’ during the recent European Championships. The Hammers announced the signing of Kral with his two Czech teammates on either side of him introducing him to the West Ham faithful. West Ham manager David Moyes was thrilled to add Kral to his squad.
David Moyes said: “I am delighted to welcome Alex to West Ham United. He will provide good competition in the centre of midfield. He is another young, talented player who we feel has a big potential and will be capable of adapting to the demands of the Premier League. We’ve brought him in on loan initially and, hopefully, over the course of the season he will make a valuable contribution, particularly with our busier schedule of fixtures. Alex is another established international player with the Czech Republic, and we hope he has similar characteristics and hunger to that of Tomas and Vladimir.”
Kral’s arrival paved the way for Conor Coventry to seal a loan move away from the club in order to gain first-team experience. The Republic of Ireland U21 captain has joined Peterborough United on a season-long loan with a break clause in January.
