James Bree has completed a transfer to Premier League Southampton on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, linking up with former Luton boss Nathan Jones.
The right back joined Town on loan from Aston Villa in 2019 and then made the move permanent 13 months later.
He was an integral part of Jones’ side that made the Championship play-offs last term and has started every league game this term under the Welshman – who left for the Saints in November – and for new Hatters boss Rob Edwards.
Earlier today the manager said things had been “progressing” with Bree after Southampton put in an offer for the defender, which The Athletic has reported as being £750,000, with his contract coming to an end in the summer.
Prior to the deal being done, Edwards said: “There is mixed feelings on it. Of course we want to try and compete and win and have the best squad possible.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for James if it all goes through it’s a wonderful thing for him. What we have done and what this club has done well for a number of years before we were here is recruited well and had a succession plan. We were aware this could happen and we’ve tried to act accordingly.”
Town are also working on a loan deal to replace Bree with Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh, with the defender reported to have undergone a medical today in Luton.
But on Bree’s Premier League move, the Luton boss said: “It’s fantastic for him. Everyone is ambitious and that’s the level everyone wants to try and aim for.”
Having made 143 appearances for the Hatters, Bree leaves a Luton side sitting just outside the play-off positions and joins a Saints side sitting bottom of the Premier League in a fight for their top-flight survival.
Jones told the Saints’ official website: “James is obviously someone who I know well from our time together at Luton, and he has the qualities both on the pitch and also in terms of his character to help us here.
“While we have really talented players in the full-back positions, we have been lighter on numbers than we would have liked, so the addition of James to the squad really helps us to address that. He’s also comfortable playing at centre-back too, so that versatility helps gives us another good option in a number of areas.”
Talking of his second chance to work with Jones, Bree told Southampton’s official website: “It was a huge factor. Obviously, it’s a Premier League team and I wanted to test myself, and obviously the gaffer and Chris (Cohen) and Sheezy (Alan Sheehan), it was a no-brainer really.
“I loved working with them for the past few years, I know what they’re about, I know how passionate the gaffer is and how much he’ll work to get this team to stay in the Premier League, where it needs to be, and I think we’ll do that under the gaffer.
“It’s the passion and how much he cares about you. He knows when to put his arm around you, he knows when to give you a rollicking, but he always gets it right, especially for me. Just being used to working with him as well, I know what he’s about, he knows exactly what I’m about and hopefully I can do as well for him here as I did for him at Luton.”
Bree added: “I’m absolutely delighted. As soon as I had the chance to come to this huge club, a Premier League opportunity for myself as well, and obviously get to work with my old gaffer, I knew it was the right decision straight away and I didn’t have to think twice about it.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid, making my Premier League debut and obviously for a team as big as Southampton. It’s something you dare to dream about.”
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