Aston Villa confirm signing of Real Betis defender Alex Moreno

Aston Villa have announced the signing of Real Betis defender Alex Moreno for an undisclosed fee.

Ever since Unai Emery was confirmed as the replacement for Steven Gerrard in October, Villa have been linked with a number of players who are currently plying their trade in La Liga.

However, while many of them represent Emery's former club Villarreal, the West Midlands outfit have instead moved to secure the services of Betis' Moreno.

The 29-year-old has been with the Spanish outfit since 2019, contributing six goals and 14 assists from 122 appearances in all competitions.

Moreno, a left-back, has remained as a first-team regular during 2022-23, but Villa have tempted the player into competing outside of his homeland for the first time on his career.

Welcome to Aston Villa, @AlexMoreno. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/W64Llr9wjF

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 11, 2023

Villa are yet to disclose the length of his contract, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the West Midlands outfit have paid a fee of €13m (£11.5m).

Speaking to the club's official website, Emery said: "Alex is a good player that can help our squad. He has been one of the top left-backs in La Liga over the past few seasons and we are delighted to have him here."

Moreno is yet to receive international clearance or a visa, factors which may lead to him missing out on a debut against Leeds United on Friday evening.

As it stands, Lucas Digne and Ludwig Augustinsson are the other options at left-back for Emery, the latter only featuring for 80 minutes in the league this season.

Villa possess an option to turn the Sweden international's loan stint from Sevilla into a permanent move, although that now appears unlikely with the 28-year-old effectively becoming third choice in the pecking order.