Aston Villa have announced the permanent signing of Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings.
Mings joined Villa on loan for the second half of last season and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League following a 2-0 victory over Derby in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.
The defender has signed a three-year contract at Villa Park and PA understands the fee is an initial £20m (€22.3m). Bournemouth confirmed the transfer broke their club record for a fee received for a player.
Mings made 18 appearances during his loan spell as Villa ended their three-year exile from England’s top flight.
He was Bournemouth’s first Premier League signing in June 2015, but a series of serious injuries limited him to just 22 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries.
Mings becomes boss Dean Smith’s sixth signing of the summer, joining fellow loanees Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi in completing permanent moves to the club, alongside new recruits Jota, Wesley Moraes and Matt Targett at Villa Park.
Smith said on Villa’s official Twitter account: “He will be an integral part of the squad for the new season and I look forward to working with him and helping to further develop his game.”
The 26-year-old wrote on his account: “Absolutely delighted to be back as a permanent @AVFCOfficial player.
“Thank you for all your welcoming messages. I can’t wait to get started.”
PA