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Canterbury have signed England prop Luke Thompson from St Helens on a three-year deal beginning in the 2021 season.

Canterbury have hailed the signing of English star Luke Thompson, saying the front-rower has a "desire to be the best" in the world.

The Bulldogs on Tuesday secured the 24-year-old St Helens prop on a three-year deal beginning in the 2021 season.

Canterbury boss Andrew Hill was quick to trumpet the leadership Thompson would bring to a club that has struggled to attract big names in recent years.

"Even though Luke is at the start of his career, we have been really impressed by his on-field leadership qualities and his desire to be the best," Hill said.

"He is an excellent player who has become a star of the Super League and has shown what he is capable of at international level and we are looking forward to him getting the chance to show everyone in the NRL what he is capable of."

Thompson is the first serious splash the Bulldogs have made in the player market after years of being mired in salary cap trouble.

It comes in a year when injured playmaker Kieran Foran enters the final season of a lucrative deal widely believed to be worth $1 million a year.

Thompson joins captain Josh Jackson as the only players who have guaranteed deals through to the 2023 campaign.

"We feel as though we are creating a really strong squad moving forward and to have someone of Luke's calibre want to be part of that and to buy in to what we are building here is a big vote of confidence in the club and the future," Hill said.

Thompson, who became the first prop to be named man-of-the-match in a Super League grand final since 1992, will follow in the footsteps of James Graham, who left the Saints for Belmore in 2012.

"Getting the chance to join the Bulldogs and be a part of a club with so much history and with such passionate fans is very exciting," Thompson said.

"Having spoken to many people at the club and listened to their plans for the future, I know that they are building for success and I'm looking forward to being part of that."