Manchester City have completed the signing of Joleon Lescott from Everton on a five year contractual basis.

After having two bids rejected, City agreed a fee with the Merseyside club over the weekend.

Lescott, 27, passed a medical on Monday and finally tied up the transfer to Eastlands late on Tuesday night.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Joleon to Manchester City. He is an England international who has proved his Premier League ability during his time at Everton,” City manager Mark Hughes told the club’s website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

“In bringing Joleon to the Club I feel we have recruited a defender of the very highest quality.

“He can play in a number of defensive positions, and I’m positive he will make a significant impact for us.”

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Joleon Lescott is ready for his medical with Manchester City, but Everton manager David Moyes has criticized the Eastlands club, bankrolled by Abu Dhabi’s multi-millionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for not preparing to pay what he thought was the going rate from the outset.

The England international is expected to undergo a medical on Monday after City finally came up with a bid which met the Merseysiders’ valuation of the player. Having rejected two previous offers – the first about £18million – Everton are reported to have accepted £24million from City for Lescott.

Asked if the Lescott deal was well advanced the Everton boss said: “If they (City) say they are quite far on I’m sure they are.

“But we shouldn’t have been asked to wait this length of time for an amount of cash we think was the correct value for the player.

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Everton have rejected the offer from Manchester City of £18million for England defender Joleon Lescott.

City contacted their Premier League rivals with an increased bid of £18million for the central defender – but the Toffees have turned down the offer.

Earlier this summer, the Eastlands club had a bid of £15million rejected, with Everton boss David Moyes insisting no player will leave Goodison Park this summer without his approval.

A club statement read: “We can confirm we have received an offer of £18million for Joleon Lescott from Manchester City and that offer has been rejected outright.”

Everton signed Lescott from Wolves in 2006 and the player has gone on to become a regular in both the Blues’ starting XI and the England national squad.

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