Schneiderlin completes Everton move in potential £24M deal

Morgan Schneiderlin ended his Manchester United torment Thursday, joining nearby Merseyside outfit Everton in a deal that could be worth up to £24 million.

He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Toffees, according to a club statement, which will take him to June 2021.

The 27-year-old made just three appearances - all as a substitute - in the Premier League this season as he fell out of manager Jose Mourinho's plans.

Mourinho conceded he would allow Schneiderlin to leave if the right offer arrived - and one apparently did. If the initial £20-million fee does indeed rise to £24 million - a sum contingent on various add-ons - the Red Devils will recoup the vast majority of the £25 million they paid to acquire the Frenchman from Southampton in July 2015.

Schneiderlin will now reunite with Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park after spending a year together on the south coast.

"Everton is a big club in the history of English football. I've always loved the atmosphere in the stadium. I've always liked playing here," Schneiderlin told Everton's website. "I can't wait to play and represent this great club.

"There is a manager in place here that I know, I know he can get the best out of me, I know his style and how he likes to play football. He was very good with me from the start and I enjoyed playing football under him."

In a separate Instagram post, Schneiderlin thanked United supporters for their support during his 18 months at Old Trafford before admitting, "I wanted to do more for this football club but it didn't happen for some reason that I respect."

The France international will give Koeman's side sufficient cover in midfield in the absence of Senegalese dynamo Idrissa Gueye, who is away on African Cup of Nations duty for the remainder of January and possibly longer.

But Schneiderlin is no stop-gap.

Despite his relative lack of playing time over the past few months, he has developed a reputation as a specialist in a deep-lying role. Adept at recycling possession and tough in the tackle, Schneiderlin can give Everton's defence necessary protection.

"He's a strong character. I worked with him for one season at Southampton, and he's a midfield player who can play in different positions in the midfield," said Koeman. "He's also a fast player, he's a clever player, and he's a personality. Normally, he's part of the French national team and at 27 years old he's part of the future at Everton."