Reports circulating have now become reality: Andres Garcia is a new Aston Villa player. The 21-year-old defender, who was announced by the Birmingham club on Tuesday morning, arrives from Levante for a fee of about £6m with a further £1m in add-ons.

Garcia has spent his entire career at Levante, currently playing in the Spanish second tier, making his way up from the youth rankings before making his debut for the senior team in the 2022/23 campaign. He has since made a further 49 appearances for the club, scoring four goals and providing 6 assists.

His physicality, excellent defensive positioning and pace made him a priority for head coach Unai Emery, who ended up choosing him over other targets for the right-back position - Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza, Rayo Vallecano's Andrei Ratiu and Flamengo’s Wesley Franca were among those considered.

Garcia is Villa's second signing of the January transfer window after Donyell Malen, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund last week to replace Jaden Philogene in the attacking department. However, looking at the way the Villains have been busy in this winter session, he may not be their last.

January 21, 2025

Andrés García

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