Everton have confirmed the signing of Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph, for a fee believed to be around £8.5 million ($11m), which could rise to £10m ($12m).
The 29-year-old has penned a three-year deal with the Toffees and hopes to enjoy more playing time with his new employers than he did in Manchester.
Having been a key figure during City’s 100-point campaign in 2017/18, the England international was restricted to just 11 Premier League appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side last season, with only one in 2019 after falling behind Oleksandr Zinchenko and Benjamin Mendy in the pecking order for a starting berth at left-back.
As a result, Delph – who can operate in midfield or at full-back – was widely reported to be keen on leaving City after entering the final year of his contract with the club.
“I’m really happy to be here, I’m going to give absolutely everything – nothing less than 100 per cent,” Delph told the club’s website upon signing.
“Every time I have played against Everton, whether it was home or away, straight away the first thing that comes to mind when you see the fans is passion.
“The Everton fans seem to know football, seem to understand it, it seems to be in their blood and they really back the team.
“You are always going to hear Evertonians and I’m excited to play at home and hear them when I am playing.”
Delph departs City having wracked up 89 appearances for the club in four years. The Bradford-born centre-midfielder had previously played for Aston Villa, whom he represented on 134 occasions in six seasons, and boyhood club Leeds United.
The new Everton recruit, therefore, has a wealth of experience, including the 20 England caps he has earned, the last of which came during this summer’s Nations League.
For that reason, Everton manager Marco Silva is delighted with his new acquisition. “When I look to bring a new player into our squad, the first thing I look for above all the other things is quality and Fabian is a player with high quality,” he said.
“But what they can bring to our dressing room is also important and if you can put those two things together then that can only be good for the club.”
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