Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara, so what would he bring to Steven Gerrard’s side if he were to join?
As noted by RMC Sport, the 22-year-old was watched by Gerrard, Christian Purslow and Johan Lange while in action for Marseille this week, and so it appears as though Villa’s interest is serious ahead of the talented midfielder becoming a free agent this summer when his current contract expires.
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As we look to make a serious push to try and compete for European qualification places next season, Gerrard will want to add reinforcements this summer to ensure that we are increasingly competitive on multiple fronts.
Villa are expected to back him in the summer transfer window to allow him to stamp his mark on the squad and mould it into his own, and so it remains to be seen if Kamara becomes one of his key early signings.
Boubacar Kamara statistics, style of play and analysis
Kamara, 22, has come through the youth ranks at Marseille and broke into the first team in the 2016/17 campaign. He’s since gone on to make 162 appearances for the senior side, bagging four goals and five assists to go along with the defensive work that he puts in for the team either as a centre-half or defensive midfielder.
Capped at every youth level for France, he has nine to his name for the U21s currently and will no doubt be pushing on to try and break into the senior squad in the coming years.
At 1.84m and with the versatility to play in different positions, he has been an important figure for Marseille and it’s no real surprise that he has attracted attention from elsewhere, including from Villa.
A gritty, combative presence in the middle of the pitch, the youngster isn’t afraid to put his foot in to win a tackle, while he reads the game well and offers protection in front of the backline with his work-rate and physicality.
Importantly, he offers something in both phases of the game. As seen in the video below, he’s composed and comfortable in possession too and can take players on as well as distribute the ball over both short and long distances accurately.
His ability to transition from defence into attack is certainly an attribute that stands out in particular, as he displays real class at times to break free from the opposition and give himself space to then move the ball forward.
In turn, it’s an exciting potential signing for Villa, who are in need of improving our options in that department with Douglas Luiz struggling to entirely convince as a No.6 this season. Marvelous Nakamba was crucial to Gerrard’s early success and provided much-needed protection for the backline while playing accurate, snappy passes forward, and that’s what Villa would be getting in an upgrade with Kamara.
Further, Kamara’s versatility to play at the back could also become a useful tool for Gerrard, and particularly with no transfer fee being required too, it seems as though it would be great business from a Villa perspective if we can secure an agreement.
For now, Kamara is seemingly very much on our radar and could be a possible reinforcement for Gerrard in what is likely to be a busy summer transfer window overall for Villa.
