West Ham United sign Nene as Andy Carroll replacement

London: West Ham have signed former Paris Saint Germain striker Nene on a temporary deal as a replacement for the injured Andy Carroll, the club said Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Brazilian moves as a free agent after leaving Qatari side Al-Gharafa last month but the deal, due to run for the rest of the season, remains subject to international clearance.

Nene, a slight but gritty right-sided forward has also played at Mallorca, Celta Vigo and Monaco, and was joint-top scorer in France in 2011-2012 with 21 goals.

"It`s a really good challenge for me, to come to a competition like the Premier League," Nene told the West Ham website.

"It`s the most competitive in the world so this is the motivation for me."

Nene boosts Hammers manager Sam Allardyce attacking options after the loss of Carroll, who underwent surgery on a knee ligament on Wednesday.

The England international missed most of last season with an Achilles problem.