Thursday 13 August 2015 11:47, UK
Everton have completed the signing of defender Mason Holgate from Barnsley on a five-year deal.
Holgate passed his medical and agreed personal terms on Wednesday and he has signed a contract which ties him to Goodison Park until 2020.
Sky sources understand the fee for the 18-year-old – who was also a target for Bournemouth - was in the region of £2m.
The last time Everton signed a player from Barnsley, they captured the now fully-fledged England international John Stones in a £3m deal in January 2013 and Roberto Martinez has denied that Stones will be sold this window despite strong interest from Chelsea.
Martinez is deliighted with the capture of the teenage Holgate and said: "With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn’t want to lose out. He is a young man with a very impressive future.
“His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first-team. But he is not a player who I would expect to perform straightaway in the Premier League - that would be very unfair.
“Mason, already at 18, has played 20 games in League One, which shows his incredible potential.
“I feel that we are the perfect place in order for Mason to develop into a top footballer. I know that he is a player who can bring us something quite unique, so we are excited about that possibility, even though he is one for the future rather than now.”
