LONDON, Dec 19 (SW) - West Ham United have secured the services of Israeli striker Yaniv Katan on a three-and-a-half year contract from Maccabi Haifa, pending a work permit and medical.

The 24-year-old Katan, who will not be registered until the new year, has been in the Haifa first team since he was 17 and debuted for Israel just two years later and has 20 caps to his name.

Katan, who will join up with fellow Israeli international Yossi Benayoun at Upton Park, will join the plethora of strikers on Alan Pardew's team, but Pardew said he could not pass up the opportunity to land him.

"The chance to sign a player of his quality was too good an opportunity to miss," said the Hammers boss on Monday.