Sunderland announced on its official website on Sunday that former West Ham United DR Congo international defender Arthur Masuaku has joined the club on a free transfer after leaving Beşiktaş following the expiration of his contract.

According to Sunderland's official statement, Masuaku has signed on a short-term two-year deal with the club which will only run until the summer of 2027.

After completing his joining procedures, Masuaku, who was interviewed by the Sunderland official website for the first time, said: "I'm delighted to be here and very happy to be back in the Premier League. Sunderland is clearly a top club, and I'm grateful for this opportunity."

"I've had three wonderful years in Turkey, and now I face an exciting new challenge. I hope to bring a winning mentality and joy to the fans, and I can't wait to get started."

Masuaku is the 10th new player that the Black Cats have signed this summer. They have previously signed Reinildo Mandava, Granit Xhaka, Simon Adingra, and have also bought out the rights to French midfielder Enzo Le Fee, who was on-loan.

About Arthur Masuaku

Masuaku, 31, was born in Lille, France, on November 7, 1993. He is 1.79 meters tall and primarily plays left back, but can also play as a left midfielder. He holds dual French and DR Congolese citizenship.

Masuaku joined Lens' youth academy at the age of 10 and moved to Valenciennes' youth academy at 15 and completed his Valenciennes first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in January 2014.

In July of the same year, Masuaku joined Olympiacos for €250,000.

During his two-year spell at Olympiacos, Masuaku won two Greek Super League titles and one Greek Cup with the club.

In August 2016, Masuaku joined West Ham United for £6.2 million.

During his six-year spell with the Hammers, Masuaku reached the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup and the semi-finals of the Europa League once each with the club.

In August 2022, Masuaku joined Beşiktaş on-loan with an option to buy, and later his ownership was bought out for £2 million.

During his three-year spell at Beşiktaş, Masuaku made 108 appearances in all competitions for the Turkish Süper Lig giants, scoring three goals and providing 18 assists. During which he has won the Turkish Cup twice and the Turkish Super Cup once with the club.