El Ghazi joins Everton on loan from Aston Villa

Everton have signed winger Anwar El Ghazi from fellow Premier League club Aston Villa on a season-long loan, both clubs said on Thursday.

The 26-year-old, capped twice by the Netherlands, joins Everton after three and a half years at Villa, where he contributed 15 goals and five assists in 71 league appearances.

“I’m really excited. Everton is a big club, I cannot wait to get started,” El Ghazi told the club website.

“I just want to focus on working hard, getting into the team, fighting for my place and, with the boys, to get Everton where it belongs – that is much higher up the table. We have a really good squad.”

El Ghazi is Everton’s third signing in this transfer window after left back Vitalii Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev and right back Nathan Patterson from Rangers, as under-pressure manager Rafa Benitez attempts to arrest the team’s slide down the table.

Mykolenko and Patterson bolstered the Merseyside team’s defence ahead of the departure of left back Lucas Digne for Villa on Thursday.

Everton, 15th in the table on 19 points after 18 matches, travel to bottom side Norwich City on Saturday.