Everton
have confirmed that Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright has finally
agreed to join the Toffees for an initial fee of £3,500,000.
Everton
had hoped to announce the capture of Wright on Tuesday afternoon after
holding talks with the England international at their Bellefield training
complex, following the successful completion of his medical.
However, the former Ipswich shot-stopper asked the Toffees to postpone
the move for another day so he could consider his options and decide
if a switch to Merseyside was right for his family.
But, despite a last-minute plea from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, the
Suffolk-born star has now agreed to put pen to paper on a £3.5m
deal with the Goodison Park outfit, which could rise to £4.5m
depending on appearances.
The Toffees are expected to officially unveil Wright on Thursday,
before the 24-year-old flies to Glasgow to link up with his new team-mates
on their pre-season tour of Scotland.
And Everton chief executive Michael Dunford admitted he was "delighted"
that Toffees boss David Moyes had finally ended his search for a goalkeeper
ahead of the forthcoming campaign.
"We're delighted that Richard has agreed to join. And when everything
is complete, he will travel to Scotland to join up with the first
team squad," he told the club's website.
