After winning the Championship title and earning automatic promotion to the Premier League, Leicester City have left nothing to chance, blistering through the Premier League and signing four new players.
The most recent of those is former Villa midfielder Marc Albrighton, whom the club confirmed today as having signed a four-year deal.
The 24-year-old came up through the Aston Villa youth ranks, but had been released this summer by his club after making 19 Premier League appearances this year.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining,” Albrighton said. “Everything about Leicester City is moving forward at the moment and it’s going to be a great football club to be a part of,” the new signing told Villa’s official website.
“It was a great 16 years for me at Villa and I had some really wonderful times there that will stay with me forever. I’m coming away now with my head held high and really looking forward to this fresh challenge with Leicester. I just can’t wait to get going.”
Albrighton becomes the fourth signing for Leicester City in the past few days, following Jack Barmby, Matthew Upson, and Ben Hamer.
Upson, a 35-year-old journeyman central defender, has played for Arsenal, West Ham, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace among others. He signed most recently on a free transfer from Brighton Hove & Albion after winning their Player of the Year award, and owns 22 caps for England.
26-year-old goalkeeper Hamer has experience with promotion, as Charlton Athletic’s goalkeeper in 2012. Barmby, a Manchester United youth product, signed a two-year contract after Louis van Gaal allowed him to leave at just 19 years old.