Manchester - Manchester City has completed the signing of James Milner from Aston Villa, sending Stephen Ireland to Villa in part-exchange for the England midfielder.
City did not say how much it paid for Milner. British papers reported that he cost about £26m, pushing City's spending since the end of last season to almost £150m.
The 24-year-old Milner signed a five-year contract and could make his debut in Monday's Premier League match against Liverpool.
City manager Roberto Mancini says City has "a very strong squad and this signing is a very important one for us."