Davy Klaassen hoping to mark first season at Everton with Europa League glory

Everton's new midfielder Davy Klaassen has signalled his ambition to win the Europa League with the Merseysiders after coming so close to doing so with former club Ajax last month.

Klaassen, 24, put pen to paper on a five-year deal after Everton agreed a fee of around £23.6m (€27m) with Ajax last week and in doing so became the Blues' second signing of the summer after Jordan Pickford was captured in a deal that could be worth £30m. The club also looked to have wrapped up a third piece of business with Dutch side FC Volendam announcing their youngster Nathangelo Markelo has completed a move to Goodison Park.

Holland international and former Ajax star Klaassen may have just arrived on Merseyside but has wasted no time in outlining his goals for the season and is keen to remedy the heartache of losing this year's Europa League final against Manchester United with his boyhood club by going one better with Everton.

"That [winning the Europa League] would be a really nice way to end my first season at Everton," Klaassen told the club's official website. "It was a great experience [last year]. The further you go in the competition, the greater it becomes.

"It was a great experience for us as a young team and I think we all learned a lot from it."

Many players have found the transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League to be a bridge too far, but Klaassen is relishing the challenge of playing in the one of the most competitive and intense divisions in the world.

Along with his many seasons playing the best the Netherlands has to offer Klaassen has also plied his trade in both the Champions League and Europa League, and he believes his experiences in both competitions will help him get to grips with Premier League life.

"I think my experiences in the Champions League and Europa League will help me adapt," the former Ajax skipper added. "You cannot compare the Dutch competition to the Premier League, Champions League or Europa League, there's a big difference. We will see how I adapt.

"I'm looking forward to it a lot. It's the biggest league and I always watched it at home. Everyone in Holland watches the Premier League."

The early arrivals of Klaassen and Pickford are evidence of Everton's intent to heavily bolster their squad ahead of a campaign which could prove taxing due to Europa League commitments.

Their spending spree is set to continue with a move for Malaga forward Sandro nearing completion, while Dutch outfit FC Volendam took to social media on Monday (19 June) to confirm the Blues' signing of their young defender Markelo.