By support

14th Jul, 2016 | 8:43am

New Aston Villa signing: I turned down Premier League offers because I will get there under Di Matteo

By Dominic Toner

Aaron Tshibola has revealed he turned down a number of offers from top-flight sides before joining Aston Villa.

Villa confirmed the £5.5million signing of the Reading midfielder last week as he signed a four-year deal with the Midlands club.

He told the Birmingham Mail: “For me it was all about playing football, other clubs had bids accepted but then I knew it wasn’t the right opportunity for myself.

“When I heard of the Villa interest there was only one placed I wanted to go. The ambitions suit my ambitions. They want to go straight back into the Premier League.”

The 21-year-old midfielder reportedly turned down a move from Midland rivals West Brom and he now feels he can continue his development at Villa.

Tshibola had come up through the ranks at the Madejski Stadium after he joined Reading at the age of 13 and, after a loan spell with Hartlepool, became a first-team starter for the Royals.

The central midfielder played under Villa assistant Steve Clarke at Reading during the 2015-16 season and the Scot is believed to have recommended Tshibola to new Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo.

Last season the club rotated the likes of Ashley Westwood, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Ghana, Leonardo Bacuna, Carlos Sanchez and Jordan Lyden in the middle of the park but failed to find consistency.

Villa will be expected to mount a serious promotion push in the Championship this season following their comprehensive relegation to the league, after accumulating just 17 points in the top-flight.

Di Matteo has also added £3million defender Tommy Elphick from Bournemouth alongside goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini to his squad.

In other Aston Villa news, senior man is to be axed after Di Matteo decision.