Chelsea have announced the departure of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has joined Everton in a £28m deal.
Things have moved quickly, with Everton’s bid for Dewsbury-Hall having only arrived on Monday.
The midfielder will not be the only exit at Chelsea this month, as the likes of Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and Carney Chukwuemeka are also expected to leave the club.
Dewsbury-Hall was part of a successful Chelsea team last season, but Everton were able to convince the 26-year-old to join them.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Chelsea FC poses with his medal
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Everton’s new stadium played role in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s decision to leave Chelsea
Dewsbury-Hall had initially been reluctant to leave Chelsea, but in the end the Englishman could not say no to Everton’s new stadium and project.
On his move to Everton’s brand new Hill Dickinson Stadium, he said: “For me to leave my old club, it would have had to have been for something special, a project that I really believed in. After speaking to the manager and seeing the ambitions with the new stadium and everything, it felt like the right club, it felt like the right fit for me for the next step.”
Game time is also something that would have been on Dewsbury-Hall’s mind as he weighed up a transfer to Everton.
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He made just two starts in the Premier League last season, and that number would not have gone up drastically in the new campaign.
Chelsea have Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and have now added Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo to their squad.
Ultimately, the battle for a spot in Chelsea’s midfield is going to become even more fierce.
David Moyes, Head Coach of Everton, talks to the press
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What David Moyes has said about Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall signing
Dewsbury-Hall is a bit of a coup for Everton. He has just won the Club World Cup and Conference League, and the Toffees had to see off competition from other sides to sign him.
It is no wonder, then, that their manager David Moyes is delighted with the signing.
“We are pleased that Kiernan has chosen to join Everton,” Moyes was quoted as saying by Everton’s official club website. “He had other clubs interested in signing him but he was excited by the opportunity and the challenge at Everton.
“Kiernan’s quality and experience of the Premier League gives us the hope that he can adapt quickly. We look forward to working with him and I’m sure all Evertonians will give him the support he needs.”
Dewsbury-Hall will not face his old side until the end of the year, with Everton not scheduled to play Chelsea until December.
Where both clubs will be in the table at that point is anyone’s guess. But after finishing the previous campaign so strongly, Enzo Maresca‘s men should be aiming to still be in the title mix by that stage.