English Championship side Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Netherland International Anwar El Ghazi from French Ligue 1 side Lille OSC on a season long loan.

The talented winger, once an Ajax academy standout, will look to kick-start his career after joining the Birmingham team on a temporary deal.

Capped twice by Netherlands, 23-year-old winger El Ghazi.

After breaking into the first team, he seemed set for stardom in Amsterdam before a fallout with then head coach Petr Bosz paved the way for his switch to Lille in January 2017.

The Championship outfit can still complete loan signings until the end of the month and manager Steve Bruce has been on the market for two new wingers.

El Ghazi has spent the last 19 months at Lille OSC but has lost his way at the French club after showing real promise with Ajax prior to that.

“Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Anwar El Ghazi from Lille on a season-long loan,” the club signalled on their official website.

“The winger is a graduate of the academy at Dutch giants, Ajax for whom he played over 70 times including in the Champions League where he scored against Barcelona in the Nou Camp in 2014.

“Capped at senior international level by the Netherlands, El Ghazi has been with Lille since January 2017.

Also speaking to the website, El Ghazi stated:  “I am thrilled to join a football club of the size of Aston Villa,” he told the club’s official website.

“I visited Villa Park late last night after flying in from Holland and it gave me goosebumps.

“I can’t wait to get out there and experience it for real and play in front of such passionate fans.”

With El Ghazi through the door, Villa have reportedly also fended off interest from Middlesbrough for the services of Everton winger Yannick Bolasie.

The 29-year-old is free to leave Everton and find regular first-team football and is understood to have picked Villa over their Championship rivals Boro.

El Ghazi started 19 league games and made a further eight appearances from the bench during his only full campaign at Lille, playing a direct hand in eight goals in that time.

Prior to that, the 23-year-old scored or assisted 30 goals in 58 league games for Ajax.

The Netherlands international will hope to aid Steve Bruce’s bid to return Villa to the Premier League after last season’s play-off final loss to Fulham.