Everton have sealed an £11.25million deal to bring Ayegbeni Yakubu to Goodison Park after winning their appeal for a work permit.

Everton agreed the terms of the transfer with both the player and Middlesbrough a week ago, but his move to Merseyside was delayed when the British Home Office refused to grant the Nigerian striker the necessary paperwork.

Yakubu failed to meet the government department's criteria for international appearances over the last two years.

But, after an appeal hearing in Sheffield today, the Home Office agreed to relent, allowing the deal to go through and Yakubu has signed a five-year contract.

The 24-year-old becomes Everton's record signing, outstripping the £8.6m manager David Moyes agreed to pay Crystal Palace last summer for Andrew Johnson, and he could now make his debut at Bolton this weekend.

Yakubu said: "I am happy to be here. It is a great feeling to come over and meet a lot of good players and see the spirit that they have.

"I have always said that I want to play for a club that plays in Europe, and I think they have the ambition to move forward and they want to finish in the first four and the Champions League and Uefa Cup and for me that is my dream.

"I know there is a long way to go and I want to be part of that - to be successful and to have that dream."

Yakubu revealed that Boro's failure to build on their run to the Uefa Cup final in 2005-06 was a major factor in his deciding to quit the Riverside.

"I chose to go to Middlesbrough because they were in Europe. At the moment they are not doing it," he added.

"I think I made the right decision to come to this place. It is a massive club and it is a great feeling. There are great players and you want to play for a big club."

England midfielder Jermaine Jenas has signed a new five-year contract with Tottenham which will keep him at White Hart Lane until 2012.

The 24-year-old joined Spurs from Newcastle in August 2005 and has been capped 17 times by England.

He said: "This club has the calibre of squad that any player would want to be part of. The spirit in the squad is terrific, the club is ambitious and undoubtedly moving forward.

"I feel I still have a lot of potential to develop further and playing alongside team-mates of this quality will help me do that.  I am very happy here and would love to stay at Tottenham for the rest of my career."