Sunderland has signed defender Leo Hjelde from Championship rivals Leeds United on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed amount.
The 20-year-old centre-back has made just three appearances for Leeds this season and eight in total.
Hjelde joined Leeds from Celtic after previously playing for Rosenborg in Norway, and he has been loaned out to Rotherham and Ross County.
“I’m a ball-playing centre or left-back,” Hjelde explained.
“I enjoy getting up and down the pitch. I’ve previously played at some great clubs, which has helped me grow as a player and as a person, but I’m now ready to go on and take the next step.”
Leo, the son of former Nottingham Forest defender Jon Olav Hjelde, was born in Nottingham and has spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom, as well as representing Norway’s Under-21 team.
“I spoke to my dad, who showed me the size of the club and the support,” he said. “I knew it was a move I simply couldn’t turn down.”
