Brom defender Davies completes £8.5m Villa move

DEFENDER Curtis Davies moved to Aston Villa in what could be a potential club-record deal as manager Martin O’Neill made his final moves to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closed.

West Brom centre-back Davies secured a season-long loan at Villa with a view to a permanent switch which would be worth an initial £8.5million, possibly rising to £10million with add-ons.

Davies said he was keen to work with a manager of O’Neill’s reputation. “The manager’s record speaks for itself. During his career he has turned people like Emile Heskey, Robbie Savage and Muzzy Izzet into great players and hopefully he can turn me into a gem as well,” he said.