Everton have confirmed the signing of Ramiro Funes Mori from Club Atletico River Plate for a fee of £9.5 million on a five-year deal.
CONFIRMED: #EFC complete signing of defender Ramiro Funes Mori for a fee of £9.5m on a five-year deal. #WelcomeFunes pic.twitter.com/VqzR9NZQol
— Everton (@Everton) September 1, 2015
The Argentina international passed a medical on Aug. 23 after the Toffees agreed a fee with River Plate.
Delays in securing a work permit held up the transfer, but they have been sorted out finally as the Argentine center back has signed a five-year contract at Goodison Park.
Part of the reason for the hold-up was that Mori, 24, has played only once for his country — and needed to have played in at least 30 percent of Argentina’s matches over the last two years to gain a work permit automatically.
However, new UK Home Office rules do allow a club to appeal to an ‘Exceptions Panel,’ which can grant a permit according to a points system that takes into account the size of the transfer fee, the players’ wages and his success at club level.
Everton was always hopeful that Mori’s winning of the Copa Libertadores with River Plate in early August would count in his favour.
His signing will follow the arrivals of winger Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona, midfielder Tom Cleverley from Manchester United and forward Leandro Rodriguez from Uruguayan club River Plate Montevideo.
Funes Mori is the second Argentinian player to represent Everton, following in the footsteps trod by forward Denis Stracqualursi who spent the 2011/12 season on loan with the Blues.
Funes Mori made his international debut for the Argentina national football team in an international friendly against El Salvador in March 2015.
He has only one appearance for Argentina national team. He played 87 games for Club Atletico River Plate and scored 8 goals assisting 2.