West Ham United women’s team are delighted to confirm the signing of France U23 international Inès Belloumou.
The 23-year-old full-back has penned a three-year contract in east London and becomes manager Rehanne Skinner’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrivals of Kinga Szemik, Shekiera Martinez and Camila Sáez.
Belloumou will immediately head to Italy and join SS Lazio on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, where she will accumulate the necessary points to meet the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria for international player visas.
Despite her relatively tender age, Belloumou has already amassed over 70 appearances in the top divisions in France and Germany. The Martigues native is also well-versed on the international stage, having featured for France at U16, U17, U19, U20 and U23 level, playing 26 times in total for Les Bleues.
Belloumou began her career with her local side FC Martigues, where she played from the age of five until she was 15 years old. The defender then made the switch to Marseille in 2016, making her professional debut at the age of 16.
At the end of the 2017/18 campaign, Belloumou joined Montpellier and, after a season in the youth side, she broke into the first-team squad, playing six times as she continued her development in the south of France.
Across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, the attack-minded full-back was key for Montpellier, playing in all 22 league matches across both campaigns. Her impressive performances attracted the interest of Frauen-Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich, where she signed a two-year contract in July 2023.
After a season with the German champions, Belloumou makes the move to England and is looking forward to the challenge of playing for the Hammers in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
“I feel very proud to be joining West Ham United,” Belloumou told whufc.com.
“I’ve been speaking with the Club for a long time now and I felt I had to come here. I’ve spoken with the French players who I know well, Vivi [Asseyi] and Hawa [Cissoko], and they both said, 'Inès, you have to come. You will not be disappointed'. They said the Club is a big family and I’m already really excited to meet everyone.
“I’m someone with a lot of determination. I give everything on the pitch and I’m a big competitor. I want to win!
“This is a new chapter for me. I have played in France and Germany and I’m now looking forward to playing in England. All are different styles of play but for me, the Women’s Super League is the best league and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Skinner is delighted to welcome Belloumou and looks forward to working with her when she returns from her loan spell in Italy.
“We have been monitoring Inès’ progress for a while now so I’m delighted to be welcoming her to the Club,” Skinner said.
“Inès is a left-footed defender who is technically astute. Her attacking and defensive work fits our style of play and we feel her playing attributes will complement our existing defensive options.
“Having already gained a wealth of experience in the national team youth set-up, as well as the top divisions in both France and Germany, we are confident that Inès will be a great addition to the squad when she returns from her loan spell.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Inès to the Club and wish her every success for her career in Claret and Blue.
