West Ham United signed Ghana defender John Paintsil from Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv today, subject to the player receiving a work permit.

West Ham said on their official Web site that the 25-year-old had signed a four-year contract in a deal costing up to £1million.

The London club said they expected the issue of the work permit and Paintsil's international clearance to be resolved shortly.

Paintsil played in all Ghana's matches at the World Cup in Germany where the African nation reached the second round.