Aston Villa signs Jota from rivals Birmingham City

Dean Smith has been reunited with Spanish winger Jota after signing the man he coached at Brentford on a two-year deal at Aston Villa.

Published : Jun 06, 2019 00:08 IST

Aston Villa has signed Jota from rivals Birmingham City on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reuniting the Spanish winger with manager Dean Smith.

Jota was a key player for Smith at Brentford before joining Birmingham in 2017, going on to make 75 appearances during a two-year spell at St Andrews.

The 27-year-old has previously played for hometown club Celta Vigo, Real Madrid Castilla and Eibar, and Smith expressed his delight at having him in his squad for Villa's first season back in the Premier League.

READ | World Cup winner Buffon to leave Paris Saint-Germain

"I worked with Jota at Brentford," Smith told the club's official website. "He's a superb, talented player and Birmingham signed him as their record transfer.

"I'm really happy to have him back working with us. He's got great ability, great balance and a great eye for both goals and assists."

Jota, whose most prolific season in English football came when he scored 12 goals in 21 Championship appearances for Brentford in 2016-17, said: "I am very happy to come and play for a club like Aston Villa.

"It's important for me to come and play in the Premier League. I've been looking for this for some years. I think I am in a good club to play there. This is one of England's best clubs."

Meanwhile, 26-year-old midfielder Gary Gardner completed a move in the opposite direction, joining on a permanent contract after spending 2018-19 on loan at Blues.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment