Norwich City have completed the permanent signing of England Under-20 international Ben Chrisene from Aston Villa.
Chrisene has signed for the club on a four-year deal with the club option of a further year, and will now immediately join Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad as they prepare for the new campaign.
The left-sided defender spent his youth career with Exeter City before joining Villa in 2020, featuring five times in the Grecians’ first team aged just 15.
The 20-year-old made one senior appearance during his stay at Villa Park, spending half a season on loan at both Kilmarnock (2022) and Blackburn Rovers (2024), in addition to representing England at every level from Under-15 to Under-20.
During the summer, he played for England’s Under-20s alongside his new Norwich team-mates Brad Hills, Abu Kamara and Kellen Fisher.
On signing for the club, Chrisene said: “I'm excited to be here and excited to get started. The project and new direction is really exciting, not only for me but for the whole club.
“I’ve spoken to the head coach about what he wants to do. I’m really looking forward to working with him. I feel I’ve still got a lot to learn but hopefully it gels pretty quickly and we can hit the ground running.”
Sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Ben is an exciting young player with lots of potential and further room for development.
“Physically, he has all of the attributes of a modern-day full-back. Under the guidance of Johannes and our coaching staff, we believe he can take more great steps and form a key part of our squad.
“We’re delighted to welcome Ben to our first-team group and are excited to see what he can help us achieve.”