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The Birmingham club "Aston Villa," which started the English championship successfully, acquired Bulgarian midfielder Stiliyan Petrov from Glasgow's "Celtic" after long negotiations for £6.5 million.
The 27-year-old captain of the Bulgarian national team signed a four-year contract and became the first purchase of the new "Aston Villa" coach Martin O'Neill. The player has been playing under the coach for several years in the "Celtic" team, and his acquisition for the English club could reach up to £8 million.
"I have known him for some time, and I think he is athletic, young, and can score goals for us. I believe that at the age of 27, his best years are still ahead of him. He is at the right age but also has a lot of experience. He also has that winning mentality from his years at Celtic, but I think he already had it," O'Neill said to the Birmingham club's official website.
Petrov, who will replace Dane Thomas Gravesen in the Celtic squad, is currently away representing his national team, but has already signed a contract and will likely debut with "Aston Villa" on September 10th in a match against "W.B.A." Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was also very interested in the player during the summer, but had to concede when O'Neill, who knew him well, targeted the Bulgarian.
The talented Petrov arrived at "Celtic" from Sofia's "CSKA" in the summer of 1999 and played more than 250 matches for the Glasgow club. His contract with the Scottish champions was supposed to be valid until 2010, but at the end of last season, seeking a new challenge, he asked to be sold. In 2001, the Bulgarian helped "Celtic" win gold medals in the national championship and both cups, and was named the best player in the Scottish Premier League. Petrov played his first national team match in March 1999.
It is believed that O'Neill is also interested in the 24-year-old Barcelona forward Javier Saviola. The latter's contract with the Catalans expires next summer, and the club wants to sell the player who cannot find a place in the team. However, "Aston Villa" will have to compete with Spanish clubs like Celta Vigo, Zaragoza, and Villarreal for the Argentine's signature.
