Aston Villa have announced the signing of Boubacar Kamara from Marseille on a five-year contract.
The 22-year-old midfielder had been linked with a move to Villa Park, with manager Steven Gerrard reportedly present at a recent game at the Stade Velodrome.
Kamara will join the Premier League club on a free transfer at the end of his contract, which expires at the end of next month.
The Frenchman primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also fill in at centre-back and was a big part of Marseille s strong 2021-22 campaign, which saw them finish second in Ligue 1 and reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
Of midfielders in the French top division this season, only Johan Gastien and Jordan Ferri made more than Kamara s 2,383 passes, while of those who made over 1,000 passes, only five players had better accuracy than his 90.68 per cent.
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After the signing was confirmed, Gerrard told Villa s official website: 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.
The former France Under-21 international also explained that a meeting with Gerrard and other Villa representatives convinced him to join the Midlands club.
When I met with Steven, Christian [Purslow, chief executive] and Johan [Lange, sporting director], I knew Aston Villa was for me, Kamara said.
Their ambition and determination to succeed matches my own. I cannot wait for pre-season to get going.
