Aston Villa have snapped up Boubacar Kamara on a five-year contract. 

The 22-year-old midfielder, who has just won his first France call-up following a fine season with Marseille, joins Steven Gerrard's squad as a free agent. 

Gerrard said: "I am delighted 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."

After emerging from their academy, Kamara racked up well over a century of first-team appearances for Marseille as he became one of the most in-demand young players in European football.

And Villa wasted no time in securing their man after his contract with the Ligue 1 side expired. 

The Villans came tantalisingly close to helping Gerrard's old side Liverpool win the Premier League title yesterday. 

They took a two-goal lead against Manchester City but were stunned as Pep Guardiola's men battled back to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory and retain their crown. 

The win saw City pip the Reds to glory by just a point, while Villa finished 14th after an encouraging spell under Gerrard's leadership. 

Gerrard, 41, replaced Dean Smith in November with the Villans sitting 16th in the table.