Aston Villa have secured the signing of Lewis Dobbin from Premier League rivals Everton for an undisclosed fee. The club confirmed Dobbin’s arrival on Sunday via a succinct 68-word statement on their official website.
The statement read: “Aston Villa is pleased to announce the signing of Lewis Dobbin from Everton. The 21-year-old made his senior debut for the Goodison Park club in 2021 before spending the 2022/23 season on loan at Derby County. Dobbin featured regularly in Everton’s matchday squads throughout last season, scoring his first Premier League goal against Chelsea in December. The forward has also represented England at various youth levels. Welcome, Lewis!”
Everton expressed their farewell to Dobbin with a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Everyone at #EFC would like to thank Lewis for his contribution, from his journey through @EvertonAcademy to the Senior Team, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Dobbin, capped by England at U16, U17, and U19 levels, has made 15 Premier League appearances, though only one as a starter. He joined Everton’s academy in 2014, marking a decade with the club before his move to Villa.
Dobbin’s transfer to Villa came just 24 hours after 20-year-old midfielder Tim Iroegbunam moved in the opposite direction for a transfer fee of £9 million. Iroegbunam made 15 appearances in all competitions for Unai Emery’s side last season, including both legs of Villa’s Europa Conference League defeat by Olympiakos.
A product of Villa’s academy, Iroegbunam has represented England at various youth levels and was part of Ian Foster’s U19 side that clinched the European Championships in 2022. Following his side’s first signing of the summer, Everton manager Sean Dyche expressed his enthusiasm about working with the new midfielder.
“We’re pleased to add Tim to our midfield options,” Dyche said. “He is a young player who is still learning and developing but clearly has a lot of the qualities we want in that area of the pitch. My coaching staff and I are looking forward to starting to work with him in pre-season.”
Iroegbunam signed a three-year deal with Everton, extending until the summer of 2027. Speaking about his move, he said: “It was a move that I didn’t want to pass by. I wanted to take the opportunity. When I’ve been to Goodison as an opposition player, I’ve seen how the Everton fans are. You can tell straight away what the atmosphere is like – they are always backing the team. I’m going to work hard for them.
“I just can’t wait to get started. I’m going to give everything and I can’t wait to show what I can bring to this club.”
Both transfers signify strategic moves for Aston Villa and Everton as they look to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season. Dobbin and Iroegbunam, both young and talented, will be eager to make their mark at their new clubs.