At half time in the FA Cup tie against Liverpool earlier tonight, Everton confirmed the signing of striker Cenk Tosun.
The 26 year old Turkish international comes for a reported £27million from Besiktas.
Speaking to the Official Site manager Sam Allardyce described him as ‘one of Europe’s best strikers’ and he was delighted to have him on board.
He’s penned a deal until the summer of 2022.
‘It is a massive boost for us all. He is Turkey`s number one striker and has scored goals in the Champions League and the Turkish League. I don`t think you can look any more than we have done and, for the price, this is the best in Europe at the moment. We could not have carried out any more research – we have looked at the player`s talent and goal scoring ability, which is fantastic.’
He added.
‘And this lad looks like he is resilient and strong mentally, too. He has a good pedigree and is another player who is desperate to play in the Premier League. He is an all-rounder, with good movement. He is two-footed, not the biggest but efficient in the air and in the box – he gets good space to get his head on the ball. We will try to break him in gently – but I do not think you can break anyone in gently in January, it is a case of get in, get your sleeves rolled up and get on with it!’
Speaking himself after the deal was done, Tosun was determined to show ‘the kind of player I am’ and he was looking for success during is four and a half year deal.
‘It feels great to be an Everton player. I`m really happy to be here and happy that everything is done. I`m really excited to play for Everton as soon as possible. Everton is a great club with a big history and a big culture and I`m looking forward to showing the fans the kind of player I am. I bring my skills here and everybody is going to see what kind of player I am. I believe I can be a good player in the Premier League for Everton.’
He went on to explain.
‘The Premier League is a strong league, I know that, so my own physical strength will help me. Also I can use both feet the same and I believe I am a good striker in the box. I`m really looking forward to training with my teammates and getting to know them and, of course, I want to play as soon as possible. The Tottenham game will be the first game I am available for and I`m very excited about it already. I`m really excited to work with my new teammates because Everton has really, really big names, big players. I`m excited to play with them and to learn from them as well, players like Wayne Rooney and the very good creative players we have here, too. They can help me score goals. I know the guys as I`ve always watched Everton`s games from Turkey, so I know a bit about the team already. I hope they can make a lot of assists for me!’
