Aston Villa have made some excellent moves this summer transfer window, signing players for key positions.
All their signings are likely to be for the starting XI; hence, manager Steven Gerrard will want to see a noticeable improvement in his team’s performances, leading to as high a league finish as possible.
The most eye-catching signing of all will be Boubacar Kamara, formerly of Olympique de Marseille.
Kamara, signed as a free agent after the expiry of his contract with Marseille, was scouted by several Premier League teams.
So, Villa will be more than happy to have secured his signing early on in the window.
The visualization below shows where the 22-year-old Kamara ranked among fellow Ligue 1 midfielders in the 2021/22 season.
Boubacar Kamara predominantly played as the deepest midfielder for Marseille last season.
He is quite clearly capable of dictating play from the back.
Often tasked with the responsibility of dropping deep and carrying the ball from the back, it is no surprise that Kamara ranked above average for key passing metrics.
His awareness during the game is a standout attribute, as indicated by his percentile rank (95th percentile) for PAdj interceptions.
He is also very much capable of passing in between the lines and uses this skill of his to frequently find his teammates who make the run in behind.
Goalscoring is not yet in Kamara’s bag of skills — he ranks a lowly 10th percentile for Expected Goals(xG) per 90.
Kamara’s defensive abilities mean that he won’t have a problem starting ahead of the current defensive midfielders at Villa — the position is his to start with.
However, Kamara will need to adjust to the pace of the Premier League if he wants to fulfil the expectations resting on his shoulders.
Europe’s best teams will continue to monitor Kamara over the coming years, and he is not too far from getting another big move should he continue his form.
