Everton sign Ukraine left back Vitaliy Mykolenko at start of January window

The 22-year-old left-back, who has won 21 caps for his country, has signed a four-year deal keeping him at Goodison Park until June 2026.

Mykolenko told Everton TV: “I have always dreamed of playing in the Premier League. English football is where the game was born and I think that it will suit my game very well.

“I am 22 but I don’t feel like a youngster. I have experience of playing at European level and hope I will continue to improve as a player.

“I am excited about the opportunity of playing in front of our supporters at Everton. I have seen the last few games at Goodison Park and they were unbelievable.”

Mykolenko, who becomes Rafael Benitez’s sixth signing for the club, brings a wealth of experience having played in the Champions League as well as reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.

Mykolenko, who can also operate in central defence, is expected to replace Lucas Digne, who has fallen out of favour with Benitez in recent weeks and has been strongly linked with Brighton and Chelsea.