Fleetwood Town can confirm James Hill has joined Championship leaders Bournemouth for an undisclosed club record fee.
The 19-year-old England youth international has been the subject of numerous bids from the Premier League and Championship in recent weeks, making himself one of the most talked-about young players in the country.
After a fee was agreed between the two clubs, Hill traveled to the South Coast on Wednesday where he completed a medical and put pen-to-paper on a four-and-a-half year deal.
He’s since gone onto play 52 times for the club’s first team, scoring one goal in the process.
Head Coach Stephen Crainey said: “We are all absolutely delighted for James and really proud of the progress he’s made at the club.
“He’s a young player I’ve been lucky to work with for a number of years now with the Under 23s and more recently the first team and he’s someone who really deserves the opportunity.
“As a club we pride ourselves on developing young players, getting them into the first team and then selling them to the Championship and the Premier League, and this is another example of us doing so.
“The deal is a record transfer fee for Fleetwood Town, so it’s one which suits both parties and we are delighted to wish him well at Bournemouth and hopefully watch James develop into a Premier League player in the future.”
The club can confirm we have received a record fee up front for the defender, with considerable potential add-ons in the future depending on his progress.
Everyone at Fleetwood Town are incredibly proud of James’ progress, and wish him the best for the future.