Bazunu signs five-year deal with Southampton

Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has completed his transfer from Manchester City to Southampton.

Bazunu joins the Saints for an initial payment of £12m (€14m), which could rise to £15m, and has signed a five-year contract with his new club.

The deal is understood to include a buy-back option for City and Bazunu's former club Shamrock Rovers are also set to benefit, with a sell-on clause believed to be at 15% of the fee.

Bazunu has already been capped ten times for Ireland and only missed out on the recent Nations League games through injury. His new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has been impressed by the goalkeeper's international form as well as his loan spells with Rochdale and Portsmouth.

"As a club, we are always on the lookout for young talent and Gavin is a very exciting addition to the squad," he said.

"We believe he has tremendous potential to improve and will give us great competition for places in the goalkeeping department.

"He is a goalkeeper with a very modern style of play, comfortable in the build-up phase, who has developed physically through some very important loan moves early in his career.

"He is already an international goalkeeper, which is very rare for his age. Coming from Manchester City, we know he has learned from some of the very best coaches and team-mates, and coming here gives him more opportunities to develop his game through playing in the Premier League."

Bazunu is happy to have finally signed on the dotted line for the Saints and is already hoping to establish himself as their first choice goalkeeper.

The Tallaght native said: "I'm delighted to be here. It’s been in the works for a few weeks and I’m really happy that we’ve got everything over the line, and I’m just excited to