LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Everton's recruitment drive ahead of the new Premier League season continued on Wednesday with the arrival of midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea.
Dewsbury-Hall, 26, who only joined Chelsea from Leicester City last summer, will cost an initial 25 million pounds (33.3 million U.S. dollars) and has agreed a five-year contract.
The midfielder played 36 times for Chelsea last season, featuring in every game of the club's successful UEFA Conference League campaign, and was part of the squad that won this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, but made only 13 Premier League appearances.
"I'm honestly very excited, my family's excited. There's a real buzz about this. It feels right for me. So just that alone gives me the motivation and the extra determination to show everybody, to prove a point and have a really successful time here," Dewsbury-Hall was quoted as saying on Everton's website.
"Everton's one of the biggest clubs in the country, and I think that in the next couple of years, the future is going to be bright. It was an easy decision in the end to come here and play for this club," added Dewsbury-Hall, who also referred to Everton's fanbase and this season's move to a new stadium.
The midfielder is Everton's fifth signing of the summer, with coach David Moyes in recent days reiterating the need to bring in players to build a competitive squad.
Dewsbury-Hall also increases the number of players leaving Chelsea, with the London club busy with both arrivals and departures. The midfielder follows Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Djordje Petrovic, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Bashir Humphreys out of Stamford Bridge this summer, with others, such as striker Marc Guiu, also set to leave. ■
