Everton have completed the £13.5m capture of Oumar Niasse from Lokomotiv Moscow.
The 25-year-old, who has previously been linked to Manchester United and Chelsea, has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal at Goodison Park.
BREAKING: Forward Oumar Niasse has completed a £13.5million move to Everton from Lokomotiv Moscow. #WelcomeOumar pic.twitter.com/9R1C8z39Cz
— Everton (@Everton) February 1, 2016
Niasse, who was named Russia Premier League Player of the Year in 2015, scored 13 goals and made 10 assists in 23 appearances for Lokomotiv this season.
"It's a great day for me, a big dream to play in the Premier League and a big dream to play for Everton," Niasse told Evertontv. "Everton is one of the best teams in the Premier League and the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.
"I know Everton is one of the big clubs here in England with history, the fans and the great players, so I'm very excited and happy to be here. I started to watch Everton more since the beginning of October because I had heard about their interest.
"I was interested to see how they play and how they have good young players. If you see players who are aged 20 or 21 and see them perform like that, you know you have a good coach. The manager (Roberto Martinez) has said exactly what he wants. He believes I can be a player who can add something to the team. It was not difficult to talk and understand one another. You can see also that he is a good person and I am really looking forward to playing for my new team."
Niasse is expected to receive clearance in time to feature in this weekend's Premier League game against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Danielle Joynson
