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Getty ImagesWest Ham have signed England midfielder Katie Zelem on loan from fellow Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses until the end of the season.
Zelem, 30, joined promoted London City from NWSL side Angel City last August, but has made just two league starts this season.
The midfielder spent six years at Manchester United – five as captain – helping them achieve promotion to the WSL in 2019 and win the FA Cup in 2024 before leaving that summer.
Zelem, who has 143 WSL appearances and 12 senior England caps to her name, reunites with Hammers manager Rita Guarino, under whom she won the 2017-18 Serie A title with Juventus.
“I’m so excited to be joining West Ham United,” Zelem said.
“I want to be successful here and use my experience to help the team as much as possible. I know that there’s a great group of girls in the building and we have a solid foundation to build on for the rest of the season.”
West Ham are 11th in the WSL table, one point above Liverpool in the relegation play-off place, after winning just one of their 12 games.
Former manager Rehanne Skinner was sacked in December and replaced by Guarino, whose only WSL match so far was a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.
“She was a big factor in me joining the club,” Zelem said of Guarino.
“I like her style of play and what she’s trying to build here. We have always had a good relationship and it’s really nice to be reunited.”
Guarino said: “I’m delighted to be working with Katie again. Her ability to dictate play from the centre of the pitch, as well as her set-piece expertise are strengths to her game that will be real assets for us.
“She also knows what it takes to compete at the highest level which will add huge value to this group of players.”
Zelem could make her West Ham debut against Leicester City on Sunday, 25 January (11:55 GMT).
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
