Iceland midfielder Sigurdsson completes record move to Everton

LONDON: Everton signed Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson from English Premier League rivals Swansea for a club record £45mil (RM249mil).

The 27-year-old penned a five-year contract on Wednesday worth a reported £100,000 (RM553,000) a week to become Everton’s record signing, topping the £31.8mil (RM176mil) they paid Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku in 2014.

“Hopefully I will continue to create goals and score goals for the team and contribute to the kind of success we’re seeking at the club,” Sigurdsson told evertontv.

“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.”

Sigurdsson, who played a pivotal role in Swansea retaining their Premier League status last term after scoring nine goals and creating 13, pulled out of their pre-season tour to the United States and was not included in the squad for last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Southampton.

Swansea had already turned down two bids from Everton as well as rejecting a reported £40mil (RM221mil) offer from 2016 champions Leicester at the beginning of the summer.

Sigurdsson joined Swansea on loan in January 2012 from German club Hoffenheim before a permanent transfer to the South Wales club collapsed and Tottenham Hotspur signed him for two years.

After making 58 top-flight appearances for Spurs, he rejoined Swansea for a second spell and spent three seasons at the Liberty Stadium.

He has also played 50 times for Iceland, helping his country to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

Everton coach Ronald Koeman has now spent over £100mil (RM553mil) in recruiting Sigurdsson, former favourite Wayne Rooney, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£30mil, RM166mil), midfielder Davy Klaassen (£23.6m, RM130mil), defender Michael Keane (£30mil), Cuco Martina and Sandro Ramirez.

However, a considerable proportion of the spending has been financed by the £75mil (RM414mil) sale of Lukaku to Manchester United.

“It took some time but finally we have signed the player (Sigurdsson),” Koeman said.

“In my opinion, in his position he is one of the best in the Premier League. We have the player here and that’s really good for the team.” — AFP