West Ham United have reached an agreement to sign Adama Boiro on loan from Athletic Club, with the Spanish side officially confirming the left-back’s move to east London.
Athletic announced on Wednesday morning that Boiro will join West Ham until the end of the season, with the Hammers holding an option to buy the 24-year-old. The defender is already in London ahead of completing the formalities of the move.
The deal means West Ham have finally secured the left-back they spent Deadline Day searching for after moving into pole position for Boiro on Tuesday.
Athletic Club confirm Adama Boiro agreement with West Ham
Athletic’s official announcement states that the two clubs have reached an agreement for Boiro’s season-long loan.
The Basque club also confirmed that West Ham have negotiated an option to make the move permanent.
Boiro remains under contract with Athletic until 30 June 2029 and has made 45 first-team appearances, including one this season against Barcelona.
Spanish outlet AS adds that Athletic will receive a fixed payment for the loan, although no amount has yet been disclosed.
The move represents the conclusion of a frantic search for a new left-back.
West Ham sold Malick Diouf to Brentford late in the window before pursuing several alternatives.
Melvin Bard ultimately chose Leeds United, while the Hammers also made a move for Roma defender Anass Salah-Eddine.
Boiro then emerged as West Ham’s preferred option, with ExWHUEmployee reporting on Deadline Day that discussions were taking place over exactly the loan-with-option structure that has now been agreed.
Boiro finally gives Nuno another left-back
The signing significantly changes the balance of Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad.
Ollie Scarles had been left as West Ham’s main natural senior left-back following Diouf’s departure.
Boiro now provides genuine competition and allows Nuno to avoid placing an excessive burden on Scarles during a 46-game Championship campaign.
The Senegal-born defender joined Athletic from Osasuna in January 2024 after the Basque club paid his €2million release clause. He can operate as a conventional left-back or higher up the flank.
West Ham confirmed Morato’s loan move from Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening, strengthening the centre of defence before the deadline.
Boiro now fills the other defensive position West Ham had been urgently trying to address.
West Ham’s transfer window verdict changes
The development is particularly significant because Athletic’s confirmation arrived after the English transfer deadline.
Our West Ham transfer window verdict initially identified the failure to replace Diouf as the major weakness in Nuno’s final squad.
That assessment now needs to change.
West Ham still left themselves with very little margin for error by taking the pursuit into the final hours of the window, but they ultimately got the deal over the line.
Instead of entering September with Scarles as the only natural senior option, Nuno now has a second specialist left-back for the promotion campaign.
Boiro should become West Ham’s ninth summer arrival once the club completes its own announcement.
The Hammers have already added Keiber Lamadrid, Joël Veltman, Manor Solomon, Arne Engels, Joël Piroe, Divine Mukasa, Edvin Austbø and Morato during an extraordinary summer rebuild.
With Athletic having now publicly confirmed the agreement, West Ham’s own announcement should provide the final details of Boiro’s move.
