Aston Villa have completed the signing of Wigan and England striker Emile Heskey for £3.5 million, according to Sky Sports.
Talks between the two clubs are believed to have began yesterday, before the striker travelled to Villa Park today where he passed a medical and put pen to paper for a three-and-a-half year deal at Villa.
Wigan were desperate to keep the target man until the end of the season when his contract runs out, but it is believed that Heskey made it clear he wanted out at the club, and the Wigan board decided to cash in while they could.
Villa boss Martin O’Neill told press: “I am absolutely delighted. Emile has been a brilliant player for a number of years and this is great news. It gives us all a big boost for the football club, myself and the players.”
“John Carew is coming back from his back injury but is still a week or two away from being ready to return and Emile couldn’t be arriving at a more opportune moment.”
“I think he could play with Gabby (Agbonlahor) and John (Carew) and I think he will give us an enormous lift. I have got no doubts that he will improve us and will help to improve Gabby and other players around him. When people like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen say Emile is good to play with, that is good enough.”
O’Neill added: “I know Emile from my days at Leicester, and he was fantastic for us. He had plenty of natural talent, even though he was only a young kid. I will be delighted to renew acquaintances with him. He is still relatively young at 31, and in good shape.”
The news is set to come as a major dissapoitnment to many Latics fans after news came through that Heskey was to stay at the club untill the summer.
Wigan boss Steve Bruce also told press: “Im very, very confident I’ll keep hold of him. I’ve got the backing of the chairman with this, unless it’s a real, big substantial offer, one which is really going to make us sit up.”
Source: Sky Sports, BBC Sport
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