EVERTON LAND BILYALETDINOV

Marquee signing: Bilyaletdinov is an established Russia international and talented winger
It was a long time coming but with Joleon Lescott's sale to Manchester City out the way David Moyes's summer spending finally got underway today with the confirmation from Everton that the Club has signed Diniyar Bilyaletdinov from Lokomotiv Moscow.
An Everton delegation met the 24 year-old winger and officials from the Russian club in Hamburg yesterday — Bilyaletdinov does not yet have a visa to enter the UK but Russian citizens can enter Germany without one — where an undisclosed fee, believed to be £10m, was agreed.

The Russia international also agreed personal terms, passed a medical and with Everton having reportedly cleared the formality of a work permit, a visa is the last hurdle for the player to clear before he can join up with his new teammates.

That's not expected to be until the first week of September when he and his Russian teammates arrive in the UK for a World Cup qualifier against Wales. Bilyaletdinov would be ineligible for the Europa League playoff second leg against Sigma as the Uefa registration deadline has passed and it's unlikely he'll arrive on Merseyside in time to prepare for weekend trip to Wigan.

The estimated £10m outlay represents the third-highest fee that Moyes has spent on a player since becoming Everton manager, behind the £12.9m paid for Marouane Fellaini and the 11.5m it took to acquire Yakubu from Middlesbrough.

Sheffield United have given Everton permission to open talks with Kyle Naughton after accepting an offer for the young defender. The Blades turned do

Everton have re-signed Brazilian striker Jo on a season-long loan from Manchester City.


The 22-year-old spent five months on loan from Eastlands at Goodison Park last term, and the former CSKA Moscow player - an £18m signing for City last summer - will spend the next 12 months with the FA Cup finalists.

Jo scored five times in 12 appearances for Everton last season, but his future at City was put in doubt by the arrival of Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers.

The Brazilan has been training with the Toffees at a pre-season training camp in Scotland ahead of the deal going through.
INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE
Meanwhile. the Merseyside club has also confirmed they will go to tribunal to agree a compensation package with Leeds United for the transfer of teenager Luke Garbutt.

Club officials had been in discussions with Leeds following the 16-year-old's switch to Goodison earlier this month.

Garbutt will not feature for the Blues until the issue is resolved, the official Everton website confirmed.

Meanwhile, new signings Anton Peterlin and Skhodran Mustafi have both received international clearance to feature against Bury in Friday night's friendly.

Sheffield United accept Kyle Naughton bid from Everton

Sheffield United have given Everton permission to open talks with Kyle Naughton after accepting an offer for the young defender.

The Blades turned down a reported £3.5m offer from Everton last month, but have now agreed to an undisclosed fee for the 20-year-old full-back, who is currently with the rest of Kevin Blackwell's first-team squad on a pre-season trip to Malta.

"We have accepted a bid for Kyle, that's correct," said the club's international chairman, Terry Robinson. "The two clubs have been negotiating this last week and we have agreed terms with Everton, but nothing has been agreed with the player.

"We won't be revealing the amount until any deal is done and our acceptance is conditional on Kyle reaching agreement with them over personal terms. It's a good deal for the player and Sheffield United. We wouldn't have agreed to it if it wasn't a good deal for the club."

Sheffield-born Naughton, who has been at Bramall Lane since he was eight, burst on to the first-team scene at the start of last season and quickly established himself as a regular in Blackwell's side.

He soon attracted the attention of several top flight clubs and won his first England Under-21 call-up – against the Czech Republic in November – after just 11 appearances for the Blades.

Everton Confirm Discussions With Manchester City About Loan Deal For Jo

Everton manager David Moyes was impressed by Jo's half-season loan spell at Goodison Park last term, and is keen on renewing terms with Manchester City in order to secure the Brazilian's services for a further year.

Chief Executive Robert Elstone confirmed that negotiations had already begun, and told the club's official website, "We have had a conversation with Manchester City over the options available to us and discussions are set to continue."

Jo, who scored five times for the Toffees last season, is currently on pre-season training in Scotland with Everton.

The player former City manager Sven Goran Eriksson courted could be deemed surplus to requirements at Eastlands, following the arrivals of Craig Bellamy, Robinho, and Roque Santa Cruz.

The following players have been included in the squad for the Toffees' tour of Scotland: Carlo Nash, John Ruddy, Iain Turner, Tony Hibbert, Leighton Baines, Phil Neville, Leon Osman, Marouane Fellaini, Louis Saha, Dan Gosling, Lukas Jutkiewicz, James Vaughan, Jose Baxter, James Wallace, Hope Akpan, Seamus Coleman, Shkodran Mustafi, Kieran Agard, and Shane Duffy

Everton Star Steven Pienaar Dismisses Atletico Madrid Link

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has responded to rumours he could leave the club this summer.

The South african international is reportedly a target for both Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, but insists he is happy to remain at Everton - at least for the time being.

“It is true that I only have two years remaining on my contract,” Pienaar told KickOff.com.

“It has been a happy two years at the club so far and I am delighted to have played a small part in the success we have achieved in finishing fifth in consecutive seasons and reaching the FA Cup Final.

“But you never know in football what tomorrow will bring. Who knows in one or two years’ time where I will be? I am a proud Everton player at present and would welcome it if the club moved to secure my long-term future, but that kind of thing is out of my hands.”

Despite welcoming the possibility of a contract extension at Goodison park, Pienaar admitted the lure of the Primera Liga could take him to Spain at some point in the future.

He added, “I enjoyed playing in the Champions League with Ajax [Amsterdam] and have been really pleased when I see how my ex-teammates like Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart have gone on to excel in Spain.

“But at this time I can only reiterate that any speculation regarding my future is exactly that.”

Moyes to bring Owen back to Merseyside

Everton are again being strongly linked with a move for Michael Owen and The Mirror suggest that David Moyes will sign him on a free transfer from Newcastle if the striker will reduce his salary demands to £50,000 a week.

The Blues are likely to have little more than £15m to spend on new players this summer which makes Bosman-style transfers attractive to Moyes.

Owen, despite his England credentials, is now 30, however, and continues to struggle with injuries.

Agent: Premier League interest in Martins

The agent of Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins claims that his client has been the subject of enquiries by three clubs from the upper echelons of the Premier League.

The Nigerian hotshot is almost certain to leave St James' Park after the Barcodes' demotion to the Championship and has been linked with a big-money move abroad, as well as with Everton, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

The Blues would be the underdogs in a bidding war for the 24 year-old, though, given David Moyes's comparatively small budget.