West Ham sign former Newcastle striker Wilson

Callum Wilson joined Newcastle from Bournemouth for about £20m in 2020

West Ham have signed former Newcastle and Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson on a one-year contract.

The 33-year-old free agent left Newcastle at the end of last season after failing to agree a new deal.

The striker was limited to just 18 Premier League appearances last term and was stuck behind Alexander Isak in the pecking order.

But Wilson passed a medical with the Hammers on Saturday and has signed an initial season-long deal.

"I'm excited to be joining a massive football club like West Ham," said Wilson.

"A club that shares a similar passion to mine - hard work, dedication, and also I strive for success so I'm glad to be a part of it.

"There's such talent within the squad. And obviously the gaffer [Graham Potter] has come in now, he's making everybody a team - all working in the same direction to achieve the goal which is to be finishing as high as possible in the league."

Wilson, who won nine England caps between 2018 and 2023, scored 49 goals in 130 appearances for Newcastle after joining in a £20m deal from Bournemouth in 2020.

He attracted attention from other Premier League clubs and had options in Major League Soccer (MLS) before signing for West Ham.

The Hammers have already signed Jean-Clair Todibo, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and Daniel Cummings this summer, and have registered an interest in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

Wilson's Newcastle record - prolific but injury prone

Despite failing to score a Premier League goal in 2024-25, when he only started two games, Callum Wilson netted 47 times in 113 top-flight appearances during five seasons at Newcastle.

He averaged a goal every 143 minutes, the fifth best record of any player with at least 15 goals during this period, bettered only by Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane. His shot conversion rate of 23.7% also stands comparison with the league's elite finishers and is exactly the same as that of Newcastle team-mate Isak.

Where Wilson has clearly struggled is in terms of availability. A series of injuries, including calf, hamstring and back issues, meant he only started 71 of 190 league matches for the Magpies, equivalent to 37%.

While the arrival of Isak in 2022 has contributed to limited opportunities, fitness problems have meant he has only been in the matchday squad for half of Newcastle's Premier League matches over the past two seasons.