Aston Villa have made a great start to the summer transfer window, having brought in one of the best defenders in the form of John Terry on a two-year long deal. They are now poised to bring in more players who are experienced enough to get them into the Premier League for the next season and are eyeing a number of players from the Premier League as well as the Championship.
Reportedly, Villa have signed the Irish midfielder from Stoke City in order to stabilise their squad for the next term. The 33-year-old has been playing for the last nine years for the Potters and has made a solid impression in their midfield in the role of an enforcer.
Whelan has been an integral part of the Potters’ line-up and played a pivotal role in the midfield to keep the opposition at bay from scoring against them over the years. He was one of the most important players in the team who made a great contribution throughout the two seasons prior to the last one, keeping them in the ninth position on the Premier League table in two seasons consecutively. However, last season was not a very good one for the Irish enforcer and his teammates were not able to repeat their performance in the last season, finishing in the 13th position on the Premier League table.
Aston Villa, who are looking forward to making it into the top six of the Championship, have already signed two good players in the form of Ahmed Elmohamady and John Terry in the summer transfer window, which shows their intention to make the new season a good one in terms of results. Now the signing of the Irish enforcer from Stoke City is sure to strengthen their line-up for the next term and the Villa fans can definitely hope for a good season.
The player joined the Potters in January 2008 and has been an important part of the Stoke City lineup throughout all the years that followed. The Irish midfielder made 337 appearances for the team and has scored eight goals for the Potters. However, it was about time for the 33-year-old enforcer to make a decision about his career and hopefully, he has chosen the right decision by switching sides after nine years of service for the Premier League outfit.
Reportedly, Aston Villa have signed the Republic of Ireland international for a transfer fee of £1.5 million.
