Permanent Villa move for Davies

Aston Villa have completed the signing of defender Curtis Davies from West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee.

Davies, 23, made the switch across Birmingham last year on a season-long loan, but a ruptured Achilles tendon ruled him out for most of the season.

The deal had threatened to scupper a permanent move, with Davies unlikely to be fit for the start of the new season.

However, it has now gone through, with Davies having signed a four-year deal under Martin O'Neill at Villa Park.

And the centre-half, who was signed by West Brom from Luton for £3m in 2005, is targeting a return to full fitness in time to face his former club on 20 September.

"I think everyone knows what game I'm targeting," he told the Villa website. "It's a very tight thing but potentially I think I can be back for that.

606: DEBATE
What do you make of Davies's signing?
"Obviously it will be down to the gaffer and I hope the team that starts the season gets off to a flier. I'm not going to expect to walk straight back into the team for any game.

"I just need to keep progressing, really. I can't worry about any one individual game, as much as I'd love to play that game, there's a lot more to the season - hopefully with a long European campaign coming up.

"I need to make sure I'm right for the whole season and not just the one game."

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