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| Beckford arrives to seal move |
Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson landed his man last night with the £4.5million capture of Everton striker Jermaine Beckford.Beckford becomes City's 12th signing under the former England boss and takes Eriksson's spending near to the £15m mark.The 26-year-old forward arrived at the King Power Stadium just 40 minutes before last night's 11pm transfer window deadline to complete the formalities of his switch to City.
Eriksson said: "He is a goalscorer, you just have to look at his record. We have always said we will take in a striker or wide player."Beckford, who signed a four-year deal that was confirmed by City just before midnight, said: "The size of the club attracted me as well as the manager and what he wants to achieve here at Leicester, and I see the club going places. We will go for the title."It was very difficult to turn it down and it will be very exciting to work with Sven, I can't wait to get started."Beckford admitted it was a "wrench" to leave Everton but said he has done it to "play more games and score more goals."
City had made an earlier bid for Beckford, believed to be around £2.5m, and pitched in again after finally giving up on Bristol City striker and long-time target Nicky Maynard.
Everton have signed striker Denis Stracqualursi – who had a trial at Leicester earlier this year without Eriksson pursuing the matter – on a season-long loan from Argentinian side Tigre, as well as Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe, which has convinced Toffees boss David Moyes it is right to sell Beckford.
The two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £4.5m earlier in the day and the Mercury understands that Beckford is not among the high earners at Goodison Park, so City were able to offer him an attractive package.
The big issue for City to overcome was persuading the former Leeds United player, who has spent the past four years aspiring to play in the Premier League, to drop down to the Championship – but Eriksson has won the battle.
Eriksson has finally landed the goalscoring striker he wants to end a protracted search which started in the summer.
He suffered frustrations along the way with targets Shane Long, then of Reading, opting to sign for West Brom, while Peterborough's Craig Mackail-Smith favoured a move to Championship newcomers Brighton. But Eriksson's focus had been on Maynard, making four bids for the 24-year-old striker, the last one understood to be in the region of £5m.
Bristol were not prepared to sell him and the player is holding out for a Premier League club move, possibly in January.
"I would guess it is over," said Eriksson earlier yesterday.
