Everton have signed Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi from Arsenal to a five-year deal, the Merseyside club announced on Thursday.
Iwobi, 23, made 149 appearances for Arsenal after making his senior debut for the club in October 2015. The former Arsenal academy product made 36 Premier League appearances last season, mostly on the left wing. His departure from the club follows the arrival of Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe, who was signed from Lille for a club record fee of £72 million.
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✍️ Signed, sealed, delivered!
Never in doubt, @alexiwobi! 😅 #EFC
Everton manager Marco Silva said: "Alex was one of our main targets for this window and I believe he is a fantastic signing for Everton. He is a direct and skilful winger and attacking midfielder who always works very hard for his team.
"He is still young but already with a lot of top-level experience -- 100 Premier League matches, more in Europe and many international games.
"It was important for me to have one more quality option for our attacking positions to add to what we have with Richarlison, Bernard and Theo Walcott.
"Alex fits exactly the profile of player I want in my model. He is hungry to join Everton and take the next step in his career, to help us compete with the strongest teams in the league and reach his potential at our club."
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Iwobi joins an Everton side who have been one of the most active Premier League clubs this transfer window. The Merseyside club have also signed striker Moise Kean from Juventus for €27.5m and have agreed deals for Fabian Delph and Andre Gomes.
Iwobi had his most productive season at Arsenal last campaign, scoring six goals and making seven assists. He came off the bench to score a consolation goal for Arsenal in the 4-1 Europa League final defeat to Chelsea in May, in what was his last appearance for the club.
A former England youth international, Iwobi made his debut for Nigeria as a 19-year-old in 2015.