Villa midfielder finalizes move to Crystal Palace

After a transfer saga that was disproportionately long - given the status of the player involved - we finally know where Barry Bannan will be plying his trade in the 2013-14 season. Ian Holloway's Crystal Palace have acquired the Scottish midfielder from Aston Villa on a three year deal, which is slightly surprising considering most of us thought he'd end up on loan. We've known for a while now that the Eagles were the most likely destination for Bazza, who was the club's second Villan target after attempting to snag the services of Darren Bent earlier in August.

It's a bit sad to see Bannan's time at Aston Villa come to an end, though. When he began catching the eye of Villa fans in the 2009-10 season, it seemed as if the sky were the limit for the young Scotsman. He even managed to nab 12 appearances for the Scottish national team, and had Villa supporters excited to see a smart, technically adept midfielder acting as the steward of Villa's attack.

But, after a couple of disappointing seasons, Bannan will get his chance to prove himself again in London. At only 23 years old he's got more than enough time to turn his career around, and I certainly hope he does. He'll certainly be getting more playing time under Ian Holloway than he would in a Paul Lambert-managed squad.

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