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Everton seal Ashley Williams signing
Everton seal Ashley Williams signing
Everton have secured the services of Swansea City defender Ashley Williams on a three-year deal. The 31-year-old joins the Toffees for a reported fee of £12m.
The Toffees had earlier had a bid knocked back for the experienced centre-back, but this did not deter them from making a fresh approach.
Ronald Koeman's side came up with a second offer of £12m for the Wales international, and it is thought that the Swans accepted the sum out of respect for their long standing player.
On his arrival to Goodison Park, Williams paid tribute to former club Swansea City, where he spent eight fruitful years, winning the League Cup in the 2012-13 season.
"I've had eight great years at Swansea and, for me, the new challenge was something I felt I needed, so I'm delighted to have joined Everton," he told the Toffees' official website.
"Everton is a great club with an unbelievable manager - a world legend in football - and I believe the club is going in the right direction. This is something I wanted to be a part of."
Williams is likely to feature in the Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur with John Stones having recently left the club to join Manchester City .
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