Aston Villa have announced the arrival of Reims centre-back Bjorn Engels in a deal worth a €10m (£8.8m).
The newly promoted Premier League outfit have already signed two new centre-backs this summer but Engels has put pen to paper on a long-term deal.
Villa have been one of the most active Premier League sides in the transfer window this summer and Engels’ arrival takes their spending spree beyond the £100m mark.
Dean Smith’s side agreed a deal worth as much as £26m to make Tyrone Mings’ move from Bournemouth permanent and a further £12m for England Under-21 international Ezri Konsa.
Villa have also welcomed versatile Caen defender Frederic Guilbert this summer after agreeing a deal in January for 24-year-old.
Engels’ arrival surely signals the end of Villa’s interest in Manchester United starlet Axel Tuanzebe, who Smith had hoped to re-sign either on loan or permanently this summer.
Engels made 33 league starts for Reims last season and helped the French side build one of the best defensive outfits in the division (42 goals conceded in 38 league matches).
The towering centre-back boasted an aerial duel success rate of 66%) in Ligue 1 last season, accentuating a statistically calculated strength of aerial duels.
