Jagielka now able to join Everton

Jul 4 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

England's Phil Jagielka during the B International match. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire _158

EVERTON’S squad headed for a Scottish training camp last night ready to pave the way for their first addition of the summer.

Phil Jagielka is now free to leave Sheffield United for £4million after their legal challenge to avoid relegation from the Premier League ended in defeat yesterday.

Everton, whose playing and coaching staff will spend the next three days in St Andrews, have agreed to trigger the release clause and the midfielder’s willingness to play Premiership football for the club who released him as a youngster means the transfer is on the verge of completion.

An arbitration panel dismissed the Blades’ claim that West Ham should have had points deducted over the Premier League rules that were broken over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano signings.

West Ham breached Premier League regulations by including third-party agreements when they signed Tevez and Mascherano last summer, and as a punishment they were fined £5.5million in April by an independent commission.

Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premiership on the last day of the season, claimed the Hammers should have been deducted points instead but their failure effectively ends their battle to avoid relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship.

They are still considering pursuing further legal avenues but are resigned to the probability that Jagielka will leave within the next week.

Everton’s summer business so far centres on extending contracts, with Mikel and Arteta and Tim Cahill agreeing to five more years at Goodison and Anderson De Silva yesterday signing for another year.

The Brazilian’s initial spell, following his drawn-out transfer from Racing Santander, yielded just one appearance, as an 88th minute substitute in the 2-1 win over Charlton in April.

Further strengthening could be held up by rivals bidding for manager David Moyes’s other targets, with Sunderland emerging as another interested party in Manchester United winger Kieran Richardson. And Old Trafford team-mate Alan Smith, who Everton are looking to involve in an £8m double bid with Richardson, has intimated that he wants to stay at United and fight for his place.

David Nugent, meanwhile, appears to be closer to accepting that his dream move to Everton won’t be achieved this summer.

The Preston forward, valued at £6million, was in talks with Portsmouth last night after negotiations with Sunderland finally broke down.