Aston Villa sign Boubacar Kamara
One day after squandering a 2-0 second-half lead over Manchester City on the final day of the 2021-22 Premier League season, Aston Villa announced the signing of highly-rated defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer from Marseille on Monday.
Villa manager Steven Gerrard has long been an admirer of Kamara and recently met with the France international at his home with the hopes of successfully selling the club’s project.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday morning that Villa were on the verge of announcing a deal with the 22-year-old. After the agreement was made official, Romano added that Kamara had “four proposals on the table” but was sold on Gerrard’s plans for Villa.
Boubacar Kamara to Aston Villa, deal now official and confirmed. Huge one on a free transfer, contract until 2027 as said yesterday. 🇫🇷🤝 #AVFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 23, 2022
Kamara had four proposals on the table.
“But when I met with Steven Gerrard in my home, I knew Aston Villa was for me”, Kamara says. pic.twitter.com/NPoStP9ysY
Kamara said to the official Villa website: “The coach was very important to me. He came to see me in Marseille in my home and we discussed a lot of things and spoke about the move.
“There was a really great feeling. He played a huge part in my decision to sign here.
Gerrard said: “I am delighted that 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.”
Born and raised in Marseille, Kamara made his way through the club’s ranks and made 28 appearances for Marseille II before earning full promotion to the senior side.
Kamara went on to play 170 times for Les Olympiens across all competitions between 2016 and 2022. A defensive midfielder adept at pressuring opposition midfielders and creating from deep positions, Kamara can also play as a center back.
In 2017-18 Kamara played six Europa League contests and helped Marseille finish runner-up in the competition.
This past season, Kamara played in five Europa League matches and boasted a 93.8% passing rating, higher than any other player in the tournament. He made 34 Ligue 1 appearances and helped power Marseille to a second-place finish.
After Kamara’s deal was made official on Monday, the midfielder was called into France’s national team for upcoming Nations League matches and could earn his first cap for the side.
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