West Ham sign full back Coufal from Slavia

(Reuters) - West Ham United have signed Czech Republic full back Vladimir Coufal from Slavia Prague on a three-year deal with the option of a further two years, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

Financial details of the move were not disclosed but British media reported West Ham paid around 5 million pounds to secure the services of the 28-year-old defender.

Coufal made 88 appearances in all competitions for Slavia following his arrival from Slovan Liberec in 2018, winning two league titles.

"He is a player we have been tracking for some time now. He has a lot of attributes and qualities that we believe will enable him to adapt quickly to the demands of the Premier League," West Ham manager David Moyes said in a statement.

"Vladimir fits the profile of the type of player we want to bring to the football club. He is a proven talent with Champions League and international experience, but we believe his best years are still ahead of him here at West Ham."

Capped eight times by Czech Republic, Coufal will join fellow countryman Tomas Soucek at the London Stadium and look to plug the hole left by Ryan Fredericks, who is sidelined for the next few weeks due to a hamstring injury.

West Ham, who are 11th in the standings, face league-leaders Leicester City on Sunday.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)