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.