Aston Villa Sign Kozak From Lazio

[Folami David]

Aston Villa bolstered their forward line by signing Czech Republic striker Libor Kozak from Lazio on transfer deadline day.
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Kozak agreed a four-year contract with the Premier League club after coming to the attention of Villa manager Paul Lambert with a series of fine displays for the Italian side in last season's Europa League.
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The 24-year-old top-scored in Europe's second tier competition with 10 goals and Lambert admitted he had been tracking the player for some while.
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"We've been on this one for the last few months, trying to bring him to the club, so I'm delighted to get it across the line," Lambert told Villa's website.
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"Libor has an unbelievable scoring record in the Europa League, incredible really.
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"He wasn't given much opportunity for Lazio in Serie
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A but he showed proper potential in leading the line there at a strong club with a great tradition and we need somebody like him as we only have Christian Benteke really as a main target man."
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Kozak joined Lazio from Slezsky FC Oprava in 2008 and was soon loaned out to Brescia for whom he scored four goals in 22 appearances.
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He eventually made 77 appearances for Lazio, scoring 22 goals, and has also won four caps for the Czechs, scoring once in a friendly against Hungary last month.
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"I'm really happy to be at Aston Villa and I'm ready for this new step in my career," he said.
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"I hope it's a good step for me and also for Villa because everything is about the team.
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"This is a big club, a very historic club with a fantastic fanbase and, for me, this is really important."