Joleon Lescott will today begin his new life as a Manchester City player after the defender finally completed his move from Everton. After a slight delay in finalising the transfer, the England international has signed a five-year contract to become the latest major signing for the club, owned by Sheikh Mansour. Based on City's success, the overall deal for Lescott could cost up to £24 million, but Mark Hughes is delighted to capture the player, who can also cover at left back.
"He is an England international who has proved his Premier League ability during his time at Everton," said the City manager. "In bringing Joleon to the club I feel we have recruited a defender of the very highest quality. He can play in a number of defensive positions, and I'm positive he will make a significant impact for us." Lescott, 27, was the prime target for Hughes following John Terry's decision to stay at Chelsea and now provides City with more depth and quality to challenge the Premier League's top clubs.
City, who have now spent more than a £100 million this summer on players, including Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Gareth Barry, have made a good start to the new season, winning their first two league matches. And Lescott, who spent three years at Everton after joining from Wolves, cannot wait to play his part in their bid for honours and team up with international colleagues at Eastlands such as Shaun Wright-Phillips.
"I'm close friends with Shaun," he said. "We've played against each other since we were 16 or 17. The way this club is moving on, I'm really looking forward to being a part of that." akhan@thenational.ae
