Everton have made their first signing of the summer, bringing in 20-year-old central midfielder Tim Irokbunam from Aston Villa on a three-year deal.
Described by Everton as „an athletic and combative player”, Irogpunam represented England under-20s and was part of the squad that won the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
After an impressive loan spell in the Championship with QPR in 2022/23, he made 15 appearances for Villa in all competitions last season.
„Everton is a fantastic club, a great club and I’m very happy to join, I can’t wait to get started,” said Irogpunam. Official website of Everton. “It was a move I didn’t want to pass up and I wanted to take the opportunity.
“When I spoke to Kevin [Thelwell, Everton’s director of football], he said more about the club – its history, future and where they see me playing. This makes me very excited because there are big things to come, especially with the new stadium.
„When I went to Goodison as an opposition player, I saw what the Everton fans were like. You could tell first-hand what the atmosphere was like – they always support the team. I’m going to work hard for them. .
“I’d say I’m a player who does both – I like to go forward and get the ball up the pitch but, at the same time, I like to get stuck in and win tackles and work hard.
„It was really important for me to get this move sorted quickly. It meant I could settle in and come in from day one and have the chance to impress from the start of pre-season.”
„I know the manager wants his team to be on the front foot, direct and working hard. You need to be fit for that and being here for the whole pre-season will help me reach those fitness levels. I’m ready for that.
Everton manager Sean Dyche said: „We are delighted to add Tim to our midfield options. He is a young player who is still learning and developing but clearly has many of the qualities we want in that area of the pitch.
’Obvious possibility’
Thelwell added: „We are delighted to have been able to move quickly to bring Tim to Everton. He is a player we have been following closely and we believe he has the skills and attributes to be a strong addition to our midfield.
„At 20 years of age, he is a young and hungry player who has already gained some impressive experience and we look forward to helping him continue to develop and fulfill his obvious potential.”
See: Premier League clubs’ summer 2024 transfers