"?Aston Villa have officially completed the signing of Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with the 23-year-old moving to Villa Park on loan for the remainder of the season.
Johnstone's temporary exit from Old Trafford was expected as soon as his parent club recalled fellow young stopper Joel Castro Pereira from a loan spell in Portugal.
Transfer news: We are delighted to announce the signing of @SamJohnstone50 on loan from @ManUtd until the end of the season. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/xpBL0Jtj0F
It is his ninth loan move to Football League club, with the last two to home-town club Preston North End where he helped the side earn promotion from League One to the Championship in 2015.
A former FA Youth Cup winner in the same generation as Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison, Johnstone subsequently played four times in the Championship for Preston the following season and also has further experience of the second tier from a previous loan at Doncaster Rovers.
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In quotes: @SamJohnstone50 offers his first thoughts on joining us. #AVFC #WelcomeSam pic.twitter.com/h1JlVssdeo
Despite going on pre-season tour with United on several occasions and beginning last season as second choice behind Sergio Romero when David de Gea's future remained up in the air, he has still never played a first-team game for the club he first joined as a 16-year-old in 2009.
Johnstone is expected to be Steve Bruce's new number one ahead of Mark Bunn at Villa, with Pierlugi Gollini's future at the club seemingly in doubt after costly mistakes in defeats against both Leeds and Norwich since the current boss replaced Roberto Di Matteo.
.@SamJohnstone50 joins Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season and @ElgatoPereira1 returns to #MUFC after a spell with Belenenses. pic.twitter.com/Ox4MITBw9P
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