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Thursday, January 29, 2026

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West Ham sign Hansen and Zelem

West Ham United Women have bolstered their squad with two significant additions during the January transfer window, signing Norway international Tuva Hansen on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich and securing England midfielder Katie Zelem on loan from London City Lionesses until the end of the campaign.

Defender Hansen, 28, joins the Hammers wearing the No5 shirt and becomes Head Coach Rita Guarino’s fourth signing of the window. The Norwegian arrives with an impressive CV, having won three successive Frauen-Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich since joining in January 2023, as well as two Toppserien championships with SK Brann in her native country. She has also featured in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and made 60 senior appearances for Norway, including scoring a crucial goal against Belgium to secure qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where she featured four times. Hansen played every minute at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 last summer.

Coming from a footballing family—her father, sister, and brother have all played professionally—Hansen spent a decade in Norway with Klepp, Arna-Bjørnar, and SK Brann, captaining the latter to back-to-back league titles.

Hansen expressed her delight at the move, telling the West Ham United official website: “I’m really happy to be joining West Ham United. It feels like a dream come true. I’m a natural leader. I want to bring my experience and winning mentality to help the team as much as possible.

"The WSL has grown a lot over the last couple of years so I’m excited by the challenge and to test myself against the best teams in the world.

"I’ve heard a lot about how special West Ham is - it’s a big Club with a rich history and I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career."

Midfielder Zelem, 30, reunites with Guarino—under whom she won the Italian Serie A title with Juventus in 2017-18, making 18 appearances and scoring four goals—and will wear the No10 shirt. The former Manchester United captain brings extensive experience, with 143 Barclays Women’s Super League appearances, two top flight titles (with Liverpool), and a Women’s FA Cup winner's medal. She has also featured for Angel City in the NWSL and earned 12 senior caps for England, including appearances at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and contributions to back-to-back Arnold Clark Cup triumphs in 2022 and 2023.

These arrivals strengthen West Ham’s options in defence and midfield as they push forward in the Barclays Women’s Super League under Guarino’s guidance. Hansen’s leadership and aerial prowess, combined with Zelem’s creativity and set piece expertise, are expected to provide valuable depth and quality.

The club continues to build ahead of the remainder of the campaign and the arrivals are set to be a big boost in their fight for WSL survival, with both players now available for selection following their victory at Leicester City on Sunday.