Transfer News: West Ham strengthen squad ahead of new season

West Ham have announced their first two signings of the summer ahead of the start of the new Women's Super League season. Maz Pacheco (pictured) has joined the Hammers following the end of her contract at Reading. 

The club have also captured Australia international goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold from Brisbane Roar. 

Left-back Pacheco worked with West Ham manager Matt Beard when the pair were together at Liverpool. "She is a great attacking full-back and I’m looking forward to continuing her development as a player here," he told the West Ham website.

"She’s a great talent already and there is a lot more to come from her as well.  She’s young and comes with a lot of WSL experience. We’ve got ourselves a young, English, elite player. The ambition for her now is to get into this West Ham team, play regularly, and hopefully we can help her fulfil her international ambitions too.”

Arnold has been Australia's W-League Goalkeeper of the Year three times and is now looking forward to the challenge of English football: “I feel like this move has been something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and I don’t think I could have ended up at a more perfect team.

“I’ve heard some really good things about the club and the incredible West Ham fans. I hope I can contribute to that and that West Ham will be somewhere I can call home for a long time to come.”