Aston Villa have completed the signing of Joleon Lescott from West Brom. The defender has signed a two-year deal at Villa Park after spending just over 12 months with the Baggies.
Lescott passed a medical on Tuesday and the move ends a long transfer chase for Villa, who wanted to sign him before his move to Albion.
SEE MORE: Up-to-the-minute transfer deadline deals.
Lescott made 39 appearances, scoring once, for West Brom after joining from Manchester City on a free transfer last summer, but the arrival of Jonny Evans from Manchester United last week meant the Baggies were prepared to let the 33-year-old former England international leave. He had been behind Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson in Tony Pulis’s pecking order and did start Saturday’s 1-0 Barclays Premier League win at Stoke.
Lescott won the Barclays Premier League twice while at Manchester City, while he also helped them win the FA Cup in 2011 and League Cup last year.
Villa also completed the signing of 18-year-old keeper Matija Sarkic from Anderlecht and strengthened their defensive ranks with the loan signing of Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori.
The 22-year-old Portuguese, a £7 million buy from Sporting Lisbon in 2013, has yet to play a first-team game for the Reds and has had loan spells at Granada and Bordeaux.
Press Association Sport understands Villa will pay a loan fee of about £1 million for the center -back with the option to buy at the end of the season for a figure, depending on appearances, between £6 million and £9 million.
“I am very pleased to bring Tiago into the football club,” Sherwood told avfc.co.uk.
“He’s someone I have been aware of for some time and I am looking forward to working with him.
“He’s a young guy who I believe will enhance the group here.”
