Everton close to Steven Pienaar deal?

Everton are reportedly close to signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Steven Pienaar on a permanent deal.

The 30-year-old South Africa international has only started five Premier League matches for Spurs since joining from the Toffees in January 2011.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at Goodison Park and had been seeking clarification on his future earlier this summer.

New Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has informed the club's board that Pienaar does not feature in his plans and the two clubs are close to agreeing a fee in the region of £5m, according to the Daily Mail.

The deal is expected to be completed by the end of next week.