Nathan Collins: Wolves sign defender from Burnley for £20.5m
- Published
Nathan Collins scored two goals in 22 appearances for Burnley last season
Wolves have signed Republic of Ireland defender Nathan Collins from Burnley for £20.5m.
Collins, 21, has signed a five-year deal at Molineux with the option of a further 12 months and is Bruno Lage's first signing of the summer.
His arrival fills the gap created by the departure of Romain Saiss, who left the Black Country side after the expiry of his contract last month.
Collins only joined Burnley from Stoke on a four-year deal last summer.
He has joined Wolves in time to join his new teammates for their pre-season training camp in Alicante.
Collins was not a regular during the first half of the campaign but, after coming in for injured captain Ben Mee in March, developed into a key figure as Burnley took their ultimately unsuccessful Premier League survival battle to the final day.
And, with three years left on his contract, it was always likely the Lancashire side would look to cash in on a player who has attracted top-flight interest this summer.
Wolves technical director Scott Sellars said: "We've looked at Nathan for a while. We think we've signed a player with a lot of potential, as well as being a very good footballer now.
"We're getting someone who is physically very good, very tall, very athletic, and is very comfortable on the ball - he can step in and take the ball forward, which is what we need. He's very good in both boxes and has real aerial strength.
"The feedback on his personality is about his leadership qualities, he's a good character, so he ticks all the boxes. He comes across as expected, a humble young man who is appreciative of the opportunity, so we're all going to be very happy."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Our coverage of Wolverhampton Wanderers is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
