Transfer Story
Everton FC have completed the signing of Swansea City poster boy Gylfi Sigurdsson for a club record fee. The Icelandic International will join Ronald Koeman’s project as the blockbuster buy in a summer which saw them acquire the likes of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney. The blue half of Merseyside will look forward to the new season, which began with a 1-0 win at home to Stoke City, courtesy of a Wayne Rooney header on the stroke of half-time.
The Toffees are aiming for a top four berth, and their eight new signings are key to them finishing any higher than the seventh position they managed last season. On his arrival, Sigurdsson said, “This is an ambitious club and it is clear we are moving in a really good direction. The most important thing is that this team keeps winning games and climbing the table – and does that throughout the season. For myself, I would like to score as many goals as possible and create as many goals for my team-mates as I can. These are my targets.”
Those targets will have to be met, and Sigurdsson will have to perform from the off as he has already shown that he is more than capable of turning on the style.
Stats
Gylfi Sigurdsson was one of the key players in a Swansea side which saw off the threat of relegation and stayed in the top flight. He was the creator and scorer of a number of key goals for Swansea City last season. Sigurdsson scored 9 goals and notched 13 assists last season. The Icelander has notched seven free-kicks in his Premier League career so far. His set piece delivery is magnificent, with eight goals coming from dead ball situations.(via PL)
A good signing?
The fee being reported is around 40 million pounds, with a further 5 million in add-ons, with performance related bonuses. Tottenham Hotspur benefited from the transfer, as they received 10% of the sell-on fee.
Sigurdsson is a player who has proven himself in the Premier League and therefore does not need time to acclimatise to its rigours. He will most likely start Monday night’s fixture at the Etihad. Sigurdsson’s transfer might well bring great joy to the Toffees, as he is a consistent performer and the fans will be looking forward to seeing him link up with Wayne Rooney, Davy Klaassen.
Ronald Koeman only had praise for his new signing,”In my opinion, in his position, he is one of the best in the Premier League. That’s because of his quality, first and foremost, and his experience in the Premier League. We need more productivity. We don’t sign one player who will score 25 goals but we need several players around our striker to get that number. He is one of those productive players which he has shown at Swansea and also in the past.”