Aston Villa secures loan signing of Tom Cleverley from Manchester United

It's almost 17 hours 'late,' but Aston Villa have made one final signing in the summer transfer window.

While the official confirmation of the move comes after Monday's 11 p.m. (local time) deadline, the necessary paperwork for the deal was clearly sent in on time.

It's likely that Manchester United's last-ditch efforts to secure the signing of Radamel Falcao – and sell Danny Welbeck to Arsenal – put the Cleverley proceedings on hold last night.

The 25-year-old English midfielder has long been a lightning rod for criticism in both Manchester and throughout his country. 

While he is unlikely to establish himself as a Premier League star, much of the criticism Cleverley has to deal with is over the top, and he should prove to be a serviceable player for Villa manager Paul Lambert.