Villarreal sign Eric Bailly from Espanyol

Villarreal have agreed a deal to sign Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly from fellow La Liga side Espanyol for a fee of £4.3m.

The Yellow Submarine has signed the 20-year-old - currently representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations - after selling Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal earlier this week.

A statement on the Villarreal official website said: "Villarreal and Espanyol have reached an agreement for the transfer of young central defender Eric Bailly, who will play with the Yellow Submarine for the next five-and-a-half years."

Marcelino Garcia Toral's charges currently sit sixth in La Liga and are on a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions.