LONDON - Striker James Beattie has completed a £6m ($16m) move from Southampton to Premier League rivals Everton, the Merseyside club says.
Beattie finalised a club record move by signing a four-and-half-year contract with Everton and coming through a medical at their Bellefield training ground.
The 26-year-old had to choose
between Everton and Aston Villa after both clubs agreed on the same fee with Southampton, leaving the final decision up to Beattie.
Everton, who lost England striker Wayne Rooney to Manchester United in August and allowed Tomasz Radzinski to join Fulham, have been looking to add to their firepower up front despite a remarkable start to the season. They are fourth in the table.
In other moves, former England international Jamie Redknapp left Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer for Southampton on a quiet day of trading in the January transfer window.
Redknapp, 31, the Tottenham captain, linked up with his father Harry, the new Southampton manager, on a six-month deal after losing his place in Tottenham's starting line-up under new head coach Martin Jol.
England under-20 international defender Calum Davenport also left Spurs for Southampton -- joining the south coast club on loan until the end of the season.
Elsewhere striker Robbie Blake, 28, completed his move from English second division club Burnley to Premier League Birmingham City for £1.5 million pounds ($4.07 million).
But Birmingham refused to entertain an improved bid from Blackburn Rovers for 30-year-old Welsh international Robbie Savage, who has asked for a transfer.
Instead Birmingham responded by saying they will chauffeur the feisty, blond pony-tailed midfielder to and from his home in Wrexham, north Wales in a bid to persuade him to stay.
Blackburn did make one capture -- signing 24-year-old South African captain Aaron Mokoena from Racing Genk in Belgium for a reported fee of £300,000 pounds ($575,000).
Two deals not yet finalised but almost certain to be completed shortly involve players moving to and from Russia.
CSKA Moscow's Czech international midfielder Jiri Jarosik, 27, is poised to move to English league leaders Chelsea initially on loan, while Boavista's Portuguese 27-year-old international defender Nuno Frechaut is set for a move to Dynamo Moscow.
- REUTERS
