Everton seal Atsu deal

Everton have (finally) completed the signing of winger Christian Atsu on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old Ghana international passed a medical on Wednesday and will be available for the season opener against Leicester City on Saturday.

Atsu becomes Martinez’s fourth summer addition at Goodison following Gareth Barry, Muhamed Besic and Romelu Lukaku.

The winger took to Twitter on Wednesday night to share the news:

Speaking to evertontv, Atsu said: “I’m very happy to be joining Everton because it’s a great club, which likes to play football, and it’s a great pleasure to be here. Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream for me and I have achieved that dream.”

“This is the biggest level for me to play at. I know that it’s a very competitive league and I believe with hard work we’re going to be successful this season.”

Roberto Martinez had previously expressed his desire to add a wide man to his squad this summer and he thinks he’s got the perfect player who fits in with Everton’s culture in Atsu.

“He’s a player who fits in with the culture and the way we want to play. He’s a very gifted technical footballer and he’s got the right personality and character to fit in with the group, which is vital.

“He will excite the fans because he brings something completely different  and a different way of playing to what we’ve got in the squad. He’s a left-footed player who loves taking people on and he’s got a really good understanding of the game for such a young man.

“He also brings extra competition in a position in which we felt we needed a player full of hunger and desire, who really wants to make things happen in the final third of the pitch.”

Martinez also feels that the experience of starting all three of Ghana’s games at the World Cup this summer will beneficial with us playing in the Europa League this season: “For Christian, at 22, to already have played in a World Cup, to have been able to adapt into Portuguese football and into the league in Holland is a really good accumulation of experience.”