David Moyes excited by arrival of Leroy Fer at Everton

£8.6m deal with FC Twente for the midfielder was announced yesterday

Everton boss David Moyes believes Leroy Fer will prove an exciting young addition to the Barclays Premier League.

The Toffees announced yesterday they had agreed an £8.6million deal with FC Twente for the midfielder, who was undergoing a medical while Moyes conducted his press conference.

Fer, 23, is nicknamed 'The Bouncer' because of his combative style in the middle of the park and is poised to become Everton's first signing of the January transfer window.

Moyes said: "He's a really good player, but he's not signed yet, he's only part way through his medical, so there's a bit to go before we can confirm anything.

"He's someone who we've liked for a long time. He's young and he's certainly an up-and-coming prospect, which we like the sound of. He is somebody who we think can help us."

If everything goes smoothly, Fer could make his debut against Aston Villa on Saturday, and the Dutchman hopes he will be a natural fit for English football.

Fer told Voetbal International: "A transfer in January is not ideal. But I think Everton is a nice club and a serious challenger for a place in the Champions League.

"The Premier League is a league that I've always wanted to play football in. With my style of play, I think England will be the right place to go."

First up for the Toffees is a home match against West Brom tomorrow, where they will hope to take the momentum from Saturday's last-gasp FA Cup fourth-round victory over Bolton.

Everton have drawn both their last two league games without scoring, against Swansea and Southampton, but remain in fifth place and only three points off the top four.

Moyes said: "We've worked hard to be in a strong position in the Premier League. We're slightly disappointed that we drew the last two games but it hasn't got us in any worse position.

"We've now got a couple of home games and we have to try to take advantage of it. But West Brom are a tough nut to crack. They're one of the only teams who have beaten us this season, and I think Steve Clarke's done a really good job.

"If anybody's turning up thinking this is a foregone conclusion, they're quite a bit off the mark I think.

"We just have to keep ploughing on and picking up the points. January's a long hard month, which it's proved to be. Once we come out of this month we can maybe look to see where we've got to go."

Clarke has taken to management like a duck to water and West Brom head into tomorrow's match only four points behind Everton and still firmly in the hunt for European football despite a six-game winless run.

One of the Baggies' victories came against Everton in September, and Moyes praised the job done by Clarke, previously assistant boss at Chelsea and Liverpool.

"With his experience, the managers he's worked under and the clubs he's been at, it was probably the right time, and I think a good club for him to join as well," said Moyes.

"West Brom are quite a stable club, they've certainly got some good players. When you win the games and you get off to a good start, that definitely helps the way people perceive you, and Steve deserves that.

"I can see them certainly finishing in the top half, and I think if you'd given that to Steve at the start of the season he'd have taken it. Maybe now he's looking for much more. He's trying to chase us down and they've done really well."

Moyes did not dismiss the possibility of adding one or two more new faces before the transfer window shuts on Thursday, but his main focus remains on the games against West Brom and Villa.

He added: "I'm always concentrating on the players we've got here and doing the work to prepare the team. My mind is mainly on the players I've got and the not the ones I haven't got."

PA