|
Everton announced the signing of Ajax attacking midfielder Davy Klaassen for a fee of £23.5 million (€27m) on Thursday. The Netherlands international has been a long-term target of coach Ronald Koeman and signed a five-year deal. The 24-year-old leaves Ajax with two seasons remaining on his current contract after helping the Amsterdam club reach the final of this season's Europa League. Klaassen served as Ajax captain the past two seasons. He came up through their academy, making his debut in 2011, and went on to score 49 goals in 163 first-team appearances. "I've walked around the training ground and talked with a few people and it feels good," Klaassen told Everton's website. "I spoke a few weeks ago with Ronald Koeman about Everton. I wanted to come here and check if this was the right club for me and since I came here I feel so happy. It's a great club. "The moment that I spoke with the manager directly I got a good feeling. He's an honest guy, we talked about the club, about the way he wants to play and that gave me a positive feeling. "I talked to him about the club and everything we want to achieve and he was really positive. It's difficult to leave Ajax but I think this is a good step for me now and I'm really looking forward to my time here." Everton are trying bolster their attacking options this summer, with Romelu Lukaku appearing likely to leave Goodison Park. The move comes on the same day that Everton sealed the arrival of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from Sunderland for a club-record fee.
|
