Everton sign teenage winger Lookman from Charlton
LONDON (Reuters) - Everton have signed England under-20 winger Ademola Lookman from third tier side Charlton Athletic on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed sum, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
"He's a good, young, talented player. And we don't have that player in his age in our academy. He can reach a high level if he develops well," manager Ronald Koeman told a news conference.
"He is a player for the future. The boy needs time to adapt to how we train, how we play."
While no financial details were given by the club, media reports suggested Everton paid 7.5 million pounds ($9.2 million) for the 19-year-old, with substantial add-ons if performance targets are reached.
"Everton has a big history and I was also attracted by the manager," said Lookman. "When you look at what he did at Southampton, and what he does with young players in terms of developing them, that was a big attraction."
Everton have lost winger Yannick Bolasie for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Bolasie could be out for as long as a year, Koeman said on Wednesday. ($1 = 0.8114 pounds)
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Keith Weir)