Paul Lambert has made his first signing since taking charge of Aston Villa last month.
The Scottish boss has captured the services of midfielder Karim El Ahmadi from Dutch side Feyenoord for a reported £2m.
Discussing the Moroccan international's imminent arrival, Lambert expressed his confidence that El Ahmadi would have a positive impact on his team.
"Karim will help the team, I have no doubt about that," Lambert told the club's official website.
"He's a really good footballer and he's played well in a good team, a big team, and I'm looking forward to working with him.
"In fact, I'm really looking forward to getting things going on Thursday when the lads will report back for pre-season."
The 27-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Villa Park.
