Player ‘thanks’ West Ham for letting him leave the club this summer – “I wanted to try something new”

Nayef Aguerd has thanked West Ham United for allowing him to join Real Sociedad this summer. 

Aguerd spent the last two seasons with the Hammers, during which time he played 58 games across all competitions and helped the club win the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League.

However, the Morocco international never truly found his best form at the London Stadium and failed to be named in the matchday squads for West Ham’s first three games of the new Premier League season.

Naturally, that lead the defender to be heavily linked with a move away from the club as new manager Julen Lopetegui rebuild his squad.

Aguerd ‘thanks’ West Ham for Real Sociedad loan

In the end, it was Real Sociedad who won the race for Aguerd’s signature, with the Spanish club signing him on loan until the end of the season.

While there is no buy option, the loan gives Aguerd another opportunity to show what he can do at the highest level.

It’s a chance the 28-year-old is keen to take.

“I want to thank all the people at the club (Sociedad),” Aguerd told reporters at a press conference (via Sport Witness).

“The last hours of the market were very intense, but I am very happy to be here, this great club, with a great history.

“When I spoke with Roberto and the coach, I knew I had to come here. It is a very healthy club, which helps the players to improve a lot and that is what I am looking for, because I want to grow, as does the club, which wants to be as high as possible.

“Thanks to the club (West Ham) for giving me the opportunity to leave, because I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to play in La Liga and doing so in a club like Real is perfect. That’s why I speak Spanish so well, because since I was little, I wanted to learn it to play in La Liga one day.”