Barnsley Football Club can today confirm that defender James Bree has completed a transfer to Aston Villa.
Following lengthy negotiations, Club representatives recently agreed a substantial fee for the 19-year-old defender and subsequently the player has agreed personal terms with the Villans, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.A product of Barnsley Football Club’s Academy system, Bree has enjoyed a remarkable rise through the Oakwell ranks. His talent and potential was clear from a very early stage in his career and he became the second youngest player to ever represent the Club, making his Barnsley debut at the age of just 16 against QPR in 2014. Since then Bree has gone on to make 61 First Team appearances for the Club, further enhancing his reputation as one of the country’s most promising young players.
Bree joins a growing list of exceptional, highly rated Academy graduates who have progressed and excelled in the Barnsley Football Club First Team. Over recent years the Wakefield born defender has become one of the most sought after players in the country and now moves to one of the biggest clubs in English football.
Everyone at Barnsley Football Club would like to say a sincere thank you to James for all of his hard work and efforts over the years. He has been a model professional throughout his time at Oakwell and we wish him all the very best in his future career.
Upon his move to Villa Park, James was keen to thank Barnsley Football Club for the Club's role in his development and commented, "I’ve been at Barnsley since I was young and it’s helped me develop. I will always be grateful."
