Everton snatches Bolasie from Crystal Palace
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Looking to bounce back from last season's sluggish 11th-place finish, Everton has signed purveyor of power and pace Yannick Bolasie from Crystal Palace on a five-year contract, the Toffees announced Monday.
Bolasie, 27, makes the Merseyside switch after four years with the Eagles, and will be assigned the No. 14 kit, according to a statement on Everton's website. Neither club disclosed the transfer fee, though reports have surfaced suggesting its somewhere in the neighbourhood of £25 million.
"I'm looking forward to putting on the Everton shirt," Bolasie said. "This is a big club and I know all about it from having played against them over the years.
(Courtesy: Everton)
"For me, it was a no-brainer to come here. But now that I've come to Everton, the job is not done. I've got to work hard and feel my way in. I'm ready and up for the challenge."
Bolasie joins the Toffees amid a season of flux for the Merseysiders. Ronald Koeman ditched Southampton for the confines of Goodison Park, then signed Ashley Williams from Swansea, Maarten Stekelenburg from Fulham, and Aston Villa midfield lynchpin Idrissa Gueye.
In what could become one of the transfer window's biggest transactions, Bolasie's move to Everton boosts the club's continental hopes while severely denting Palace's Premier League ambitions.
It would appear that Bolasie's ambitions match those of his new club.
"It’s not about the money for me," Bolasie said. "It's about looking at the ambition of the club and where they are trying to get to. I just like to play football. ... This season is going to be very interesting and I’m looking forward to being part of it here at Everton."
Bolasie's transfer was slow-brewing, with the gaffer conceding that the 27-time capped Lyon-born Democratic Republic of the Congo winger has long been an object of his desire.
"Yannick is a player who has been a long time on my radar because he’s the type of winger I like - fast, strong, and he can play different positions in the forward line. He's a really good signing for the club," Koeman said.