West Ham United Women have completed the signing of England Under-20 defender Niamh Peacock following her departure from Arsenal.
The 18-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers, the first professional deal of her career, and becomes Rita Guarino’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window.
West Ham confirmed Peacock’s arrival from Arsenal on Thursday, with the centre-back set to wear the No26 shirt in east London.
Her move follows the recent arrival of fellow Young Lioness Sienna Wareing, with West Ham continuing to add young English talent to Guarino’s squad ahead of the new Barclays Women’s Super League season. ReadWestHam recently covered how Wareing joined after leaving Manchester United.
Peacock Adds Youth And First-Team Experience
Peacock spent the past decade in Arsenal’s youth system after earlier time in Chelsea’s academy. She captained Arsenal Under-21s to the Professional Game Academy U21 PGA Division One title in 2024/25 and also trained with the Gunners’ senior squad.
The defender gained senior experience last season through spells with Watford and Portsmouth. She made 14 appearances for Watford during their FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division title-winning campaign, before making seven league appearances for Portsmouth.
Peacock has represented England from Under-15 to Under-20 level and captained the Young Lionesses. She also featured at the 2024 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship and the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
“This is a big club, with big ambitions and a passionate fanbase,” Peacock said. “I felt that coming here was the best fit for me at this moment in my career.”
Guarino described Peacock as a central defender who looks to play forward “at every opportunity”, adding that her exposure to senior football last season should help her development at West Ham.
