CONFIRMED: Everton sign Josh King from Bournemouth

Everton have moved late in the transfer window to sign striker Joshua King from AFC Bournemouth on a six-month contract. The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and the terms of the Everton deal apparently include an option of an extension with the Toffees, or the player can walk away as a free agent in the summer as well.

It’s not clear what terms were agreed with the Cherries, but the club could earn up to £5m from the transfer. The player is currently on £45,000 per week wages with Bournemouth, which is very manageable for the Blues.

The Toffees moved for King after letting Cenk Tosun leave for Besiktas on loan. With Moise Kean at PSG and Ellis Simms at Blackpool, the Toffees were left desperately short of attacking options.

The Cherries also accepted an 11th-hour bid from Fulham, but King snubbed the Cottagers in favour of a move to Goodison Park, with Carlo Ancelotti believed to have played a big part in convincing the Norwegian international to join the Blues.

King is effectively a direct replacement for Tosun but he is much quicker than the Turkey international and is able to play right across the front line. He was out of contract in the summer which explains his relatively low fee.

The former Manchester United youngster has scored 53 goals in 184 appearances for the Cherries since joining from Blackburn in 2015.

He has, rather worryingly, failed to score in the Championship this season, with his only two goals against Oldham and Crawley in the FA Cup. That is, however, one goal more than Tosun has scored this season. The disgruntled forward has not played much though, and has been looking for a move away from the Cherries this season.

It is not a deal set to get the pulses racing, but he offers depth, versatility and Premier League experience to the frontline.

Transfermarkt

The deal caps a reasonably busy deadline day for Everton, mainly with outgoings.

Jonas Lossl, Jonjoe Kenny, Anthony Gordon, Beni Baningime and Tosun all departed on loan. As I write this Mo Besic may also be leaving before the deadline.

Marcel Brands is slowly, but surely, chipping away at that hefty wage bill. Bernard will not be leaving this evening, however. This Brazilian’s proposed move to Al Nasr collapsed, which explains why Gordon was allowed to leave on loan.