Season › 2017-18 › News Everton unveil latest signing VlaÅ¡ić Lyndon Lloyd Thursday, 31 August, 2017 66comments | Jump to most recent DEAL CONFIRMED OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images Nikola Vlašić has completed a move from Hajduk Split to Everton for an initial fee of around £8m. A photo of the 19-year-old signing his five-year contract with the club were shared by journalist Tim Žaja on Twitter just before 8pm this evening, not long after his sister Blanka's Instagram story seemed to confirm that he was now an Everton player. Vlašić, who will wear the No.27 jersey, impressed during the Croatian side's two-legged Europa League playoff tie with the Toffees this month and has become the latest signing to arrive at Finch Farm this summer. A former target of Arsenal and Chelsea, Vlašić was reported to have turned down a move to the Premier League last year to remain in Croatia and support Blanka's preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games. He was apparently watched closely by AC Milan more recently but Everton have beaten off the competition to sign him. His participation in the Europa League group stages won't cup-tie him for the group stages of the competition and beyond. An attacking midfielder who can operate across the forward line, Vlašić has made 87 league appearances and scored 11 goals for Hajduk since breaking into their team three years ago. He was recently won his first cap for his country's senior team but is on duty with Croatia's U21s during the current international break from which he was given permission to take time off yesterday to conclude a medical and personal terms with Everton. Under the terms of the deal, Hajduk would be due a further £925,000 (at current exchange rates) if certain appearance-related clauses are met, plus 10% of any sell-on fee for Vlašić. “Nikola is one of those players who can play a big part in Everton's future and in what we want to achieve as a club,” Ronald Koeman said of the new acquisition. Vlašić, meanwhile, expressed his delight at finalising the move. “When there is a manager like Ronald Koeman who wants you, there is no need to talk about it much,” he said. “I wanted to come here because of the manager, because of the big players, because of the reputation of the club. It is the opportunity of a lifetime. “I played a lot of games for Hajduk Split but the Premier League is something else. I am very excited about the opportunity to play for this big club. “The Premier League is the best league in the world and this is one of the top clubs in England. It is such a big honour for me to be here.” Reader Comments (66) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Minik Hansen 1 Posted 31/08/2017 at 19:58:47 I hope he was Hajduk Splits best player. Let's see a couple of more, COYB! Neil Thomas 2 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:01:13 Bloody hope so cause 11 goals in 87 games is not what I would call prolific. Will Mabon 3 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:02:12 "It's a young player".Calvert-Lewin a "young player" whilst being older than Vlasic, so this must be one for the future, eh Ron?So, on to the old-enough forward we need for now. Chris Williams 5 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:06:06 Looks a good signing. Highly rated, Croatian international, vice captain who has captained his club several times at 19.NEXT! Neil Thomas 6 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:07:25 Must admit Will good signing for future but it's not enough for right now. A bad season now and that would blow any chance of bringing in big names for next year Dermot Byrne 7 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:09:01 Just the guy I wanted Steve Ferns 8 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:10:13 He looked alright playing for hajduk, but I didn't pay enough attention to him at the time. It's a positive signing. Just need a number 9 Neil Thomas 9 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:12:58 Barkley just turned down move to Chelsea wonder what that means Chris Williams 10 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:13:43 Way ahead of Lookman, for example, both physically and in his football development. I would think he should get plenty of matches over the next season.We need pace and width in that squad and he can provide that albeit nowhere near the finished article. Steve Ferns 11 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:15:04 Where did you hear that Neil? Dermot Byrne 12 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:16:15 Berkley's agent most likely Frank Wade 13 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:17:45 Good signing. Strong skilful aggressive attacking midfielder. He speaks good English as well, so that's another plus. Just hope he gets a chance and is not banished to the u23s. Chris Williams 14 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:19:40 Just been interviewed on SSN. Better English than me!Agree with Frank re playing in first team squad. Tony Hill 15 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:20:03 Yes a fair signing for the price and I have good feelings about this player. Steve Ferns 16 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:22:01 Id swap the last few signings for an average standard number 9. It's a massive gaping hole in the side. Koeman always plays with a 9, so I cannot understand our failings here. Dave Lynch 17 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:26:25 Patience brothers.It will happen. Gordon White 18 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:27:25 Another difficult name to spell! Welcome flaccid. We hope we will all love you because of your attacking play and assists. And the odd goal by the sound of things. Striker next please . Neil Thomas 19 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:30:10 Steve it's on radio 5 live offer accepted but the player turned it down Steavey Buckley 21 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:38:09 Will he end up in the under 21s as the Everton 1st team is in desperate need of width? Mike Berry 22 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:40:47 This lad is going to be a great player, we have stepped in and got him early.Any doubters should read the Bleacher report on him for enlightenment !He is a physical specimen for such a young age and has been brought up on hard work and dedication.Fast strong, two footed, the faithful should give him time and they will be rewarded. Terry Bolger 23 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:43:59 We will have a team of midfield players with nobody to play too. I honestly think this manager is full of hype, and he wants to be the manager of Barca? I have a better chance being the next Bruce Springsteen Shaun Wilson 25 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:47:42 Good signing, hope he gets a chance this season. Next please Neil Thomas 26 Posted 31/08/2017 at 20:54:49 Agree Mike but where do you play him Mark Morrissey 27 Posted 31/08/2017 at 21:38:16 Has Niasse gone anywhere ? He'd be like a new signing wouldn't he. Jesus H Christ. Paul Holmes 28 Posted 31/08/2017 at 21:58:43 Just read on the club website Vlasic, his dad was a decathlon record holder and his sister is a two times world champion high jumper, who won a bronze in the Rio Olympics. He's from good stock, could turn out to be a great signing when we look back at the end of the season. Jim Potter 30 Posted 31/08/2017 at 22:20:53 Ross refuses to join Chelsea. Pulls out of deal. ?????????!!!!!!!!! Dave Cook 31 Posted 31/08/2017 at 22:21:58 Who called it earlier in the thread? Tony Twist 32 Posted 31/08/2017 at 22:24:09 Barkley wants spurs move, that's why he has turned down Chelsea. Tony Dove 35 Posted 31/08/2017 at 22:40:33 Ross stays. Thank you God. Joe Clitherow 36 Posted 31/08/2017 at 22:46:02 Thank you for Barkley staying? Seriously? You think he ever plays for us again? He has cost us millions. Phil Walling 38 Posted 31/08/2017 at 23:23:32 Will no doubt take over CL's place in the side as he is a genuine wide player. And he's a full international so has a head start on any of our younger breed.Good luck to the kid - he'll need it methinks in a team which becomes a bigger 'bugger's muddle' with each game played ! Paul A Smith 40 Posted 01/09/2017 at 00:21:08 Typical Everton. Left short again. Rudi Coote 41 Posted 01/09/2017 at 01:04:07 Seems a good player by all accounts. To be played out of position no doubt Gary Hughes 42 Posted 01/09/2017 at 01:20:59 An attacking midfielder... just what we need. Koeman's plan is really coming together now with Rooney, Klaassen, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Lookman & Mirallas – not to mention Bolasie... oh & I almost forgot Barkley, all vying for that role. Who knows... maybe he can challenge Calvert-Lewin & Holgate for the right wingback role. Who needs a system when you can just have a team of Number 10s & no strikers. Henry Lloyd 43 Posted 01/09/2017 at 01:24:27 I am sick and tired off all this shit. Jamie Sweet 44 Posted 01/09/2017 at 03:36:17 £8million is practically a free transfer in today's market.Looking forward to seeing how our 3-7-0 formation works against Spurs. James Watts 45 Posted 01/09/2017 at 03:46:31 Jamie I think you have the 7 and the 3 in the wrong places 😂 Terry Bolger 46 Posted 01/09/2017 at 07:03:32 It's a good job Koeman has only two seasons left on his contract; get shut of him. This season will be a struggle, the January sale will be worse than this one... we will be left looking at the summer left-overs. Denver Daniels 47 Posted 01/09/2017 at 07:27:56 Jamie, what's Steve Watson doing these days? We could always get him back to player striker for us again. I remember those days fondly when we played with 6-7 defenders in the starting line-up. Tony Hill 48 Posted 01/09/2017 at 08:07:51 Part of the problem, of course, is that we do not know who is in charge of directing our transfer business. Who does what and on whose say so?Moshiri is happy to go on Sky to pronounce on football matters and seems untroubled by the absence of a serious forward line. His bizarre intervention at the same time last season was telling. We will continue to find out what sort of owner we have.Walsh and Koeman must, of course, have had a central role and so must Uncle Bill whom the manager praised highly for concluding the hugely protracted Sigurdsson deal.Between them they have left us toothless and I fail to see how that can be considered remotely beneficial as an investment decision or as part of a greater, long term plan. Those who think that some combination of the available players will plug the gap are fooling themselves.I think Evertonians are fully entitled to be dismayed. There is nothing negative or miserable about saying so. John Smith 49 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:16:14 "11 goals in 87 games is not what I would call prolific."For a sixteen-to-nineteen year old vs grown men playing predominately on the wing or center attacking mid and not as a striker, that's pretty darn good. Colin Glassar 50 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:27:17 Welcome aboard Nikola. Your signing has been slightly overshadowed by our usual TDD incompetence but I look forward to seeing you play soon. Anthony Hawkins 51 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:27:18 I took Morishi's comments as Sandro being the main striker with Bolasi, Rooney etc all supporting.I'm not sure Koeman or the fans see it that way. Tony Waring 52 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:39:50 Why is everybody feeling disappointed ? It's not as if we are the only club who have failed to sign defined targets .what about Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Barca to name but a few !! Get over it. We have January to look forward to by which time we shall probably be top of the league with a 3 point gap and a game n hand over the rest ! Sam Hoare 53 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:43:14 I thought this lad stood out for Split. Reminded me of Ross but with more bustle. At only 19 he's got loads of time to improve and I think if we're lucky he might turn into the real deal.Given our alarming paucity of wide/attacking options and players with pace/dribbling ability I hope that he gets lots of games this season:I'd like to see this team in the not too distant future:PickfordKenny Keane Jags BainesGana KlaassenVlasic Rooney Siggurdsson/SandroDCL Dave Williams 54 Posted 01/09/2017 at 09:55:05 The RS play without a proper striker and don't do badly scoring goals! Terry Bolger 55 Posted 01/09/2017 at 10:19:09 I think Ronald Koeman is the new Billy Bingham – makes a big money signing, the likes of Latchford and Sigurdsson, and hasn't got a clue about the rest of the team. But the fans have; I honestly think Koeman will only be here for three seasons. George Cumiskey 56 Posted 01/09/2017 at 11:21:45 This poor lad will have to hit the ground running for Everton to make any progress, from what I've witnessed up to now. Tony Dove 57 Posted 01/09/2017 at 11:42:54 The last player we bought after he had played against us was Brett Angel. Colin Glassar 58 Posted 01/09/2017 at 11:46:06 Just watched the game against Split for the second time and two things struck me, A) How comfortably in control we really were and B) Vlasic was really anonymous in that game, Erceg was far better up on his own. Clive Mitchell 59 Posted 01/09/2017 at 11:48:12 Impressive young man, might help Mirallas to grow up. It's not possible for him to be as bad as Brett Angel. Tom Bowers 60 Posted 01/09/2017 at 12:00:24 Everton now seem to possess a lot of young ''gems'' and whether they will sparkle now or down the line we will have to wait and see.Despite some of the bigger names coming in, we may have to wait till next season to see the team emerge into real contenders.I know that this is not satisfactory right now but to be honest, despite the result at the Bridge they haven't looked anything special.This is a work in process and we hope it may come together quicker than we think but the tough games against Manure and Spurs may put us back a notch.Vlasic, like a few others may be introduced gradually like a few others but the competition is there for all to see which isn't a bad thing. Kevin Dyer 61 Posted 01/09/2017 at 13:33:45 #18 Gordon it's only 6 letters man!I'd be lying if I said I remembered him though I was focusing more on us. Seems to have a strong pedigree, definitely for the 1st team, not the youth setup, not with a cap for a major nation to his name. Croatia has produced some brilliant players over the years, typically technical players too, so hope we've found the next great one. Christ do we need guys who are comfortable with the ball. Looks like he will be deployed wide, a position we have little natural depth at. Good feeling about him, says the right things too, which doesn't hurt. Steve Ferns 62 Posted 01/09/2017 at 14:42:15 I also rewatched the Hadjuk games on the EFC website and didn't really see anything from Vlasic that would have made me want to buy him. However, I have faith our talent spotters, and Koeman, have a better eye for talent and have seen something there. Oscar Huglin 63 Posted 01/09/2017 at 16:43:50 Terry #47HahahahahahahaYou're deluded. Derek Knox 64 Posted 01/09/2017 at 17:59:09 Welcome to Everton Nikola!Did someone say on another thread, that he won't be cup-tied, because the qualifiers don't count till the group stages? Raymond Fox 65 Posted 01/09/2017 at 18:20:30 Nikola welcome, your coming has been unfortunately over shadowed by all the other shenanigans yesterday!Hope you make a success of your career here at Everton. Joe Foster 66 Posted 01/09/2017 at 23:29:56 This signing made me totally forget we needed a striker. Welcome aboard lad. David Johnson 67 Posted 02/09/2017 at 09:00:00 Another great young addition. I've been very critical of the board but am really excited by the policy of signing up top quality young uns. Tony Cheek 68 Posted 02/09/2017 at 14:35:12 Barkley with brains! Alan J Thompson 69 Posted 04/09/2017 at 06:18:14 It reminds me of being at Fulham, 1968 was it, when Ernie Hunt played his first game for Everton (lost 2-1) as a deep lying centre forward. As they walked off at half time Hunt turned to Alan Ball and told him he wasn't really a centre forward but a midfielder to which Ball replied, "You're a midfielder, that makes eight of us and I was here before you!" John Hughes 70 Posted 04/09/2017 at 07:28:16 It was 9 September 1967, Alan. I was at the game that day and got the autograph of a certain young Fulham player called Allan Clarke, who was standing outside the ground chatting to to his parents. 'Sniffer' of course went on to play for Leicester and the notorious Leeds side under Don Revie. Roger 'Ernie' Hunt didn't last long, he was shipped out to Coventry after 12 games, in March 1968. Two years later, he scored that famous free-kick against us at Highfield Road. Alan J Thompson 71 Posted 04/09/2017 at 07:39:05 Shows how bad the memory is getting, John, as I thought the free (donkey) kick was before we signed him. It's what they say about nostalgia, John, it ain't what it used to be. Although Wolves and Coventry do figure in there somewhere. Ray Atherton 72 Posted 04/09/2017 at 15:57:21 Alan (#70) and John (#71),I was at the Fulham game in 1967, Ernie Hunt's debut. I first saw him play for Swindon Town in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup against Everton at their ground. It was a night game in January 1963, the game would not have been played nowadays, snow was bad across the country.We beat them 5-1: Vernon (2), Bingham, Morrissey and Gabriel.Mike Summerbee was on the wing for them before he was transferred to Man City.Ernie had thighs like a rugby player. Steve Ferns 73 Posted 05/09/2017 at 23:25:13 Vlasic Scout Report he looks like Messi! But then again this is YouTube! Alan J Thompson 74 Posted 07/09/2017 at 05:26:01 Ray (#73); You realise that two of our scorers in the Swindon game were wingers as, it appears, was their best player. With wingers like that you wouldn't be playing wing backs and you'd have a field day against three at the back. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads