Bristol City have secured the services of Josh Brownhill from Preston North End.
The 20-year-old is out of contract this summer, but due to the fact that he was offered a new deal by North End, Bristol have had to pay an undisclosed compensation fee.
"Josh is a young, hungry, sought-after player who is experienced beyond his years in modern day football, and we've beaten off competition from other clubs to get him," manager Lee Johnson told the club's official website.
"On a human level, as well as being a good footballer he's also a fantastic character - one of the nicest guys you could meet - and he's very determined to do well for Bristol City."
Brownhill played a total of 64 games for North End, from which he scored six goals.