Johnny Heitinga joins Toffees
David Moyes clinched the last-ditch signing of Holland defender Johnny Heitinga on deadline day to complete the busiest-ever transfer window in his seven years at Everton.
Having finally sold Joleon Lescott for £24million to Manchester City, Goodison Park boss Moyes has now spent virtually all of that money boosting his squad.
Heitinga had been a tough deal to conclude. His wage demands, believed to be around £40,000 a week, were a stumbling block and the now former Atletico Madrid man had intimated that he wanted to stay in Spain.
But Moyes and chairman Bill Kenwright were persistent, and Heitinga was flown by private jet into Merseyside around lunchtime on deadline day for a medical and discussions on personal terms.
Heitinga delayed linking up with the Dutch squad, preparing for their friendly with Japan, and finally signed a five-year contract a hour before the deadline.
Moyes has been desperate to improve his squad depth, saying: "We let four players go at the end of last season and they had not been replaced.
"The squad is important here, not just the first eleven. That is the way we work here.
"We have not had that experience on the bench, and we have probably not had it for a while."
Everton have paid £6.2million, which could rise to £7million on appearances. Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said: "We are pleased the deal has been completed to get John into Everton. He is a very experienced player having played at both Ajax and Atletico Madrid and I know David Moyes is looking forward to getting him started."
Heitinga arrives in the Premier League as one of Holland's most experienced defenders, racking up nearly 50 caps and occasionally captaining his country.
He can play at both his preferred central-defensive role and at right-back, having fulfilled both positions successfully for his country.
A graduate of Ajax's academy, he made his senior debut at 17 and went on to establish himself as a regular for the Amsterdam side, spending five years playing alongside Steven Pienaar before the South African left for Borussia Dortmund.
During his time in Holland, Heitinga won the Eredivisie twice and the Dutch Cup three times.
He was voted Holland's player of the year in 2008 and went on to join Atletico from Ajax that summer for a fee of 10m euros.
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