Southampton sign Cameron Archer from Aston Villa on four-year deal
Cameron Archer leaves Aston Villa for Southampton in four-year deal Credit: None
Southampton have signed 22-year-old forward Cameron Archer from Aston Villa on a four-year contract.
Archer, who emerged from Aston Villa's Academy, made his Villa debut by scoring a hat-trick in a 2021 EFL Cup match. He later gained experience during loan spells in the Sky Bet Championship with Preston North End and Middlesbrough.
Last summer, Archer was part of the England squad that won the European Under-21 Championship. Following his success at the tournament, he joined Sheffield United, where he gained regular Premier League experience.
After returning to Aston Villa for pre-season in June, Archer is now set to join the Saints squad ahead of their season opener against Newcastle.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the move, Archer said, "I'm really excited to be here. I had a good chat with the gaffer. Obviously, he told me everything I needed to hear." He added, "I just want to keep scoring goals and improve myself as a player, and I don't think there's a better place to do that than with Southampton."
Southampton manager Russell Martin is equally optimistic about Archer's potential.
"Cameron is a really exciting young talent with huge potential to improve, and we’re really delighted to add him to the group in time for our first game back in the Premier League," Martin stated.
"He’s a constant threat with his pace and ability to score goals, and will have learned a lot from playing regularly in the Premier League last season."
