SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Southampton completed the signing Tuesday of forward Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal on a four-year contract.
The 25-year-old Chile international swapped Blackburn for Spain last summer and went on to spend the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United, where he scored six goals in 14 top-flight appearances in England.
Brereton Diaz has now made a permanent move to the Premier League by joining newly promoted Southampton for a reported initial outlay of 7 million pounds ($9 million).
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” the English-born Brereton Diaz said. “It’s been smooth these past couple of days, and I’m happy to get everything sorted and signed.”
Saints manager Russell Martin called him “a versatile and intelligent footballer, capable of playing in a number of positions across the forward line.”
Southampton will travel to Newcastle for its opening Premier League game on Aug. 17.
Also, Bournemouth signed Spain U21 defender Dean Huijsen from Juventus for an undisclosed fee.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
