Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Olympique Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara as a long-term replacement for captain Sergio Busquets.
According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Barcelona are considering a free transfer swoop for Olympique Marseille’s French midfielder Boubacar Kamara as they scour the market for a replacement for veteran star Sergio Busquets.
At 33 years old, Busquets is fast approaching the twilight of his career. While he is still capable of top-class displays, they are not coming as consistently as before, as was evident in the 1-1 draw against Granada this past Monday. Considering that there are no viable alternatives for the Barcelona captain within the club, the Catalans will be forced to dip their toes into the market sooner rather than later.
And, Kamara has emerged as a transfer target for Barca, owing to the immense potential that he has shown, coupled with his contract situation at Marseille. The 21-year-old is a product of the Ligue 1 outfit’s youth academy and burst onto the scenes as a central defender before transitioning into the defensive midfield position, where he has made a name for himself.
To date, Kamara has racked up 128 appearances across all competitions for Marseille, scoring three goals and setting up five more. He is also a regular for the France Under-21 setup but is yet to break into the senior team for Les Bleus.
Kamara is held in the highest of regards within France and across Europe, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Manchester United having shown interest in him in the past. Now, Barcelona too have identified the 21-year-old as a transfer target as they look to put a succession plan in place for current first captain Busquets.
What makes Kamara such an enticing target for the Blaugrana, apart from his obvious potential, is that the 21-year-old will be available on a free transfer next year. Indeed, his contract with Marseille runs out at the end of the season and there have been no signs of him signing an extension as of yet.
Furthermore, Barcelona have a strong relationship with Ligue 1 outfit, having worked on multiple deals with them in the recent past. All these factors have led club director Mateu Alemany to consider a swoop for Kamara.
A move for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, who is also set to become a free agent next summer, has been mooted. But someone like Kamara can be a more affordable signing for Barcelona given their financial situation. It now remains to be seen if the Catalans’ interest in the 21-year-old Frenchman leads to anything substantial in the coming months.
