Gylfi Sigurdsson’s move from Swansea City to Everton will turn out to be £45m well spent, insists Ronald Koeman.
The Goodison Park manager has no doubt his club have landed one of the Premier League’s best playmakers in the Icelandic midfielder.
Sigurdsson’s switch was completed on Wednesday night after the 27-year-old had passed a medical.
The deal went through a day after it emerged a deal worth up to £45 for had been agreed – a record transfer fee paid out by the Merseyside outfit.
Wrapping up the signing of a player they have been long pursuing takes Everton’s spending since the end of last season beyond £140million.
Koeman, who had already this summer brought in Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Cuco Martina, Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Wayne Rooney, said of Sigurdsson on Wednesday: ”We worked a long time to get this deal in and he was one of the key players to bring in.
“We knew we would lose (Romelu) Lukaku for this season, with that we lost 25 goals, and we need players who will bring in productivity to the team.
“He is that type of player, with a lot of productivity.
“He knows the Premier League and he had really good seasons with Swansea. In my opinion he is, in his position, one of the best in the Premier League.”
Sigurdsson scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in the league last term for Swansea.
“Hopefully I will continue to create goals and score goals for the team and contribute to the kind of success we’re seeking at the club,” Sigurdsson told evertontv.
“This is an ambitious club and it is clear we are moving in a really good direction. The most important thing is that this team keeps winning games and climbing the table – and does that throughout the season.”
Sigurdsson began his professional career in England with Reading and joined German side Hoffenheim in 2010.
He moved on loan to Swansea at the start of 2012 and joined Tottenham in a £6.8million deal six months later, before returning to south Wales in 2014.
Sigurdsson, Swansea’s player of the year for the past two seasons, has made 50 appearances for Iceland and played a key role in their run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
His proposed move has dragged on for much of the summer, with Swansea initially valuing their man at £50million.
Sigurdsson, who scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in the league last term, pulled out of Swansea’s pre-season tour to the United States after Everton’s interest became clear.
He rejoined first-team training upon Swansea’s return from the States but did not figure in their Premier League opener at Southampton on Saturday.
Sigurdsson will not feature in Thursday’s Europa League play-off against Hajduk Split at Goodison Park, but Koeman indicated he could make his Everton debut in Monday’s league clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
“He will not be involved (on Thursday),” Koeman said. “Maybe for Monday, I do not know. I need to talk to him and know what his physical state is. Let’s wait to see how the fitness is.”
