Milner, 24, has been chased by the Blues all summer and they had a £20 million rejected in May. The England World Cup 2010 midfielder has now sealed his transfer to the club for a fee believed to be in the region of £16m, with Stephen Ireland, valued at around £8m, also heading in the opposite direction, bringing the total transfer fee to £24m.
Speaking to the club's official website, manager Roberto Mancini was delighted to have finally captured the reigning Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year.

He said: “I am very happy to have James with us, everybody knows we have admired him for some time.

“He is an excellent midfielder, who can play in a number of positions. This is important for the team, and I am looking forward to seeing him play for us. We have a very strong squad, and this signing is a very important one for us.

“James he is already a very good player, who has proved he can play at the very top level. But he is also young and a good character, I think he can also improve and be a great player for Manchester City for a long time.”

Speaking about Ireland’s departure, Mancini added: “I hope things go well for Stevie at Villa. He is also a very good player, and he has played a big part in City’s history. I think he will enjoy the change of being at another club, and I hope he does well for Aston Villa."

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald is sad to see Milner leave Villa Park, but is delighted to have completed the signing of Stephen Ireland.

"It is sad to see James go but it is a great boost for the club that Stephen is joining," he told BBC Sport.

"Stephen is a very gifted, inventive player and he links up play probably more than James in many ways."

He added: "He is a different kind of player to James with his power and strength all round the pitch, allied to a very good football

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