Edvin Austbø has completed his move to West Ham United, signing a four-year deal at the London Stadium with an option for a further season, as the club continue to reshape their squad for a promotion push.
The 21-year-old Norwegian, who will wear the No 35 shirt, arrives with a clear sense of what this step means. This is not just a transfer for him; it is the realisation of a childhood fixation.
“It feels really good to be a Hammer,” he said, speaking after the move was confirmed. “Ever since I knew about the interest, I wanted to come here and have butterflies and am really looking forward to start playing for this amazing club.”
There is no mistaking the scale of the challenge. West Ham, now chasing a return to the Premier League, are leaning hard into a new identity under Nuno, and Austbø sees his own ambitions reflected in that rebuild.
“Obviously, the ambitions of the club are big and it's also for me as a player,” he added. “The talks I had with Nuno and Nils Koppen were amazing and I just felt from the start that this was a good match and that I really wanted to come here.”
Those conversations proved decisive. The forward spoke of a connection formed quickly with head coach Nuno and Director of Player Recruitment Nils Koppen, who has been central to the club’s recruitment drive.
Koppen, in turn, made it clear this was no opportunistic move. West Ham have been tracking Austbø for a considerable period, watching him grow in Norway and weighing him against interest from across the continent.
“Edvin is a player we have tracked closely for some time and we are very happy to bring him to West Ham United,” Koppen said. “He has made very impressive progress and built strong experience in Norway, and there has been a lot of interest in him across Europe.”
That wider attention only sharpened West Ham’s conviction. They see a profile tailored to English football’s pace and intensity.
“We believe he has the right attributes, strengths and potential to be successful in English football,” Koppen continued. “He is a quick, energetic and intelligent player, who will bring another positive option to our attacking profile.”
For Austbø, this is also the fulfilment of a long-standing connection with the English game. The Premier League formed the backdrop to his childhood, and West Ham were never a distant name.
“I watched English football on TV when I was a little kid. Everyone in Norway knows West Ham. It's such a big club and a club that belongs on the highest level in England.”
That sense of belonging is now his responsibility to justify. The club believe his mentality matches his talent.
“Edvin is highly motivated to take this next step in his career,” Koppen said. “And everyone here at the Club will do everything we can to help him to settle in as quickly as possible.”
Austbø has his number, his contract and his platform. The next step is simple and brutal in its clarity: help drive West Ham back to where, in his words, they “belong.”
