Boubacar Kamara joins Aston Villa on five-year contract | OneFootball

Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of highly-rated Olympique Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a five-year deal.

The 22-year-old will move to Villa Park upon the expiry of his Marseille contract, having helped the Ligue 1 giants finish as runners-up to champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The Villans ended their Premier League season with a 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City after throwing away a two-goal lead, but have moved quickly to seal their first signing of the summer - with Kamara's arrival another coup for Steven Gerrard in the transfer market.

In a statement on the club's official website, Kamara said of his impending move: “When I met with Steven, Christian and Johan in my home I knew Aston Villa was for me.

"Their ambition and determination to succeed matches my own. I cannot wait for pre-season to get going.”

Head coach Steven Gerrard added: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract one of the most promising young talents in European football. We have a very clear plan to make our team stronger and Bouba is an important part of that.”

90min revealed on Saturday that Villa had won the race to sign the French Under-21 international, despite strong interest from Champions League regulars Atletico Madrid.

Kamara's arrival follows the permanent acquisition of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona, who has reignited his career after pairing up with former Liverpool teammate Gerrard.