Leicester City has signed defender, Harry Souttar from Stoke City for £20m.
Souttar joins on a four-and-a-half year contract and provides manager, Brendan Rogers with another defensive option after a spade of injuries in defence across first half of season.
Leicester initially saw a £10m bid rejected by Stoke but both clubs have agreed a £15m transfer fee plus a further £5m in add-ons for the 24 year-old, who has spent the last six-and-a-half seasons with the Potters where he has scored two goals in 70 senior appearances.
Souttar began his career with Dundee United but after moving to Stoke in September 2016 following FIFA approval, he enjoyed loan stints at Ross County and Fleetwood Town in which he scored four goals in 66 total appearances across both clubs.
Speaking about his move to Leicester, Souttar commented: “I’m delighted to join such a great Football Club and challenging myself in the Premier League is an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.
“There are world-class facilities here and a squad full of fantastic players, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Stoke’s Technical Director, Ricky Martin meanwhile has paid tribute to Souttar for his efforts at BET365 Stadium, as he commented: “Harry has developed into a proven international during his time with us and has now earned himself the opportunity to make his mark in the Premier League.
“We are proud of the part Stoke City has played in his development, thank him for his service and wish him every success for the future.”
Internationally, Souttar previously played for Scotland at youth level but switched allegiance to Australia in October 2019, and has since gone on to score six goals in 14 international caps plus featured for the team at 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Souttar could make his Leicester debut away to Aston Villa on Saturday 4 February in a 3pm GMT kick-off.
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