Martina delighted to become part of Everton shake-up
Cuco Martina has been reunited with his old Southampton boss Ronald Koeman after moving to Everton on a free transfer.
The right-back, 27, was out of contract with the Saints after two years on the south coast and has now penned a three-year deal at Goodison Park. Curacao international Martina was signed by Southampton when Toffees boss Koeman was in charge and the defender has also played under Everton assistant Erwin Koeman, Ronald’s brother, during his time in Holland.
Everton have had a busy summer in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Wayne Rooney, Sandro Ramirez and Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford, and Martina admits their approach persuaded him to move to Merseyside.
“Everton is a big club with big ambitions and I’m really looking forward to joining this group of players and the manager as we try to step forward next season,” the defender said.
“Obviously, I know the manager from my time at Southampton, so I know what he wants and he knows what I can do.
“Everton supporters are really passionate about their club and everyone’s excited about where the club is aiming. You can see this is a club that wants to achieve something and the players we are bringing certainly show this.”
The Toffees’ regular rightback Seamus Coleman suffered a double-leg break while on international duty in March so will miss the start of this campaign, while Koeman was also keen to acquire more defensive options ahead of their return to the Europa League.
“Cuco Martina is an experienced player who can perform in different positions at the back, which is important,” Koeman added.
“It’s also important, with the number of games we will face in the coming campaign, that we have strength and competition in the squad.
“I brought the player to Southampton, so I know what he can do for us here and this is why I’ve now brought him to Everton. He is a player who will strengthen our squad and be able to play in different positions when that’s needed, too.”