Djemba-Djemba signs for Villa

Aston Villa FC have beaten the transfer deadline to sign Cameroon midfield player Eric Djemba-Djemba for an undisclosed fee from Manchester United FC.

Not a regular
The 23-year-old had been at Old Trafford since August 2003 but failed to hold down a regular first-team place, making just 13 starts in the Premiership. United paid FC Nantes Atlantique €5m for his services in August 2003. Villa had been looking for a new midfield player after Gavin McCann was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.