Liverpool:
Everton signed Russia midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov from Lokomotiv Moscow on Tuesday for its first transfer since agreeing to sell defender Joleon Lescott to Manchester City.
The English side, which reached last season's FA Cup final and finished fifth in the Premier League for a second straight year, said it will pay an undisclosed fee for the Lokomotiv Moscow captain.
The 24-year-old Bilyaletdinov signed a five-year contract and will be able to play for Everton manager David Moyes once he secures a visa to play in Britain.
"I know David Moyes has wanted to bring him to Goodison for some time and we look forward to welcoming him," Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said.
Everton had been attempting to fend of Manchester City's interest in Lescott for several weeks, but agreed to sell the England international on Sunday for a fee reported to be 22 million pounds ($36 million).
The northwest England side now appears to be refreshing its team with the proceeds of that sale, which may be completed on Tuesday.
"I can't say that negotiations with Everton were swift," Lokomotiv Moscow president Nikolai Naumov said on his club's Web site. "Of course, the sum offered for Diniyar was very high."
Naumov said Everton first tried to sign Bilyaletdinov, who has played 28 times for Russia, last year.
"We told Diniyar immediately," Naumov said. "But at that moment Lokomotiv was in a tricky situation, and like a real patriot of the club and upstanding captain, Diniyar refused the move.
"He didn't want to leave the club at that time. So now, after a further 18 months of Everton watching the player, we didn't have the right to ask Diniyar not to examine the offer of the Englishmen."
The English side, which reached last season's FA Cup final and finished fifth in the Premier League for a second straight year, said it will pay an undisclosed fee for the Lokomotiv Moscow captain.
The 24-year-old Bilyaletdinov signed a five-year contract and will be able to play for Everton manager David Moyes once he secures a visa to play in Britain.
"I know David Moyes has wanted to bring him to Goodison for some time and we look forward to welcoming him," Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said.
Everton had been attempting to fend of Manchester City's interest in Lescott for several weeks, but agreed to sell the England international on Sunday for a fee reported to be 22 million pounds ($36 million).
The northwest England side now appears to be refreshing its team with the proceeds of that sale, which may be completed on Tuesday.
"I can't say that negotiations with Everton were swift," Lokomotiv Moscow president Nikolai Naumov said on his club's Web site. "Of course, the sum offered for Diniyar was very high."
Naumov said Everton first tried to sign Bilyaletdinov, who has played 28 times for Russia, last year.
"We told Diniyar immediately," Naumov said. "But at that moment Lokomotiv was in a tricky situation, and like a real patriot of the club and upstanding captain, Diniyar refused the move.
"He didn't want to leave the club at that time. So now, after a further 18 months of Everton watching the player, we didn't have the right to ask Diniyar not to examine the offer of the Englishmen."
