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West Ham agree deal for Romania captain Razvan Rat
SAM ALLARDYCE has beaten Marseille to secure West Ham's first signing of the summer in Shakhtar Donetsk left-back Razvan Rat.
Rat is set to join West Ham at the end of the season on a free transfer, when his contract with Donetsk expires in June.
With the Hammers Premier League status safe after a solid campaign following promotion from the Championship, Allardyce has begun building for next season.
Romania captain Rat, 31, has 88 international caps and brings a wealth ox experience to West Ham's backline, signing a three-year deal worth around £35,000.
The former Rapi Bucuresti defender has been with Shakhtar since 2003, playing a key role in the team's domestic and European campaigns.
Marseille were also in the running to sign Rat, but the French club saw their wage offer trumped by Allardyce.
The West Ham manager is targeting further additions this summer, recently saying: "To improve we just need to add better players, it's as simple as that.
"If we get better players, then we improve. If we can do that, then we get better and we become an established Premier League side."