Newcastle United and West Ham United in talks for Manchester United target Boubacar Kamara
According to the Northern Echo (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United will face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United and West Ham United in the race to sign Marseille star Boubacar Kamara.
For years now, United’s midfield has been a weak link for the side, unable to dictate the tempo against stronger sides and seemingly porous as it has been unable to shield the defence effectively from quick counter-attacks.
Given this, the Red Devils are in the market for a defensive midfielder and were heavily linked with Kamara in January as a potential option to address their issues in the middle of the park. A concrete move, however, never transpired in the winter transfer window.
Only 22, the player has earned a strong reputation in Ligue 1 based on his displays for Marseille over the past few years. This season too, he has been influential in helping the club climb up to their place in the French league table.
Competition from Premier League sides
Having spent his entire youth career in France with Marseille, he rose through the ranks at the academy and made his professional debut for the club in 2016, when he was still a teenager. Since then, the Frenchman has not looked back and continued to improve and develop his game.
After spending all his life with his boyhood club, Kamara is now set to be a free agent in the summer, sparking a transfer frenzy for him at the end of the season. There is strong interest from the Premier League, with the player said to be in talks with Man United, Newcastle, and West Ham over a potential move next term.
Man United are short of defensive midfielders in the squad, with Nemanja Matic the only player who plays in the position naturally. However, at 33, he cannot be expected to be the main star to rely on in the future, given that he barely plays at the minute.
Scott McTominay and Fred have filled in for Matic in the role, but the pair have hardly done anything to prove that they can take the team to the next level and guide them to trophies. For years now, there have been doubts about the duo’s ability to help us reach the next level.
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At 22, Kamara offers United a chance to sign someone they can use as a midfield lynchpin for years to come. Though he has never played outside of France, his age makes it possible for the club to help him adapt to the game in England and develop further.
The Red Devils’ biggest threat to their plans to sign Kamara comes from Newcastle, given they are now backed by mega-rich owners who are willing to splurge to turn the Magpies into world-beaters in the coming years. Man United have deep pockets too, and if it comes down to a serious transfer battle between the two clubs in the summer, we hope that the distinction of donning the red jersey still holds good.
