Marseille are ready to cash in on versatile defender Boubacar Kamara, who is valued around €60 million and is being courted by FC Barcelona.
According to Le10Sport, Marseille are bracing themselves for a mass exodus in an attempt to recover themselves from the financial difficulties brought upon by the Coronavirus pandemic. As such, they are willing to part ways with Boubacar Kamara, who is courted by FC Barcelona.
Kamara is joined by Morgan Sanson and Fabio Vieira in the list of players who could soon depart Marseille. The French outfit, however, are not open to selling them for cheap and for Kamara, especially, they expect at least €60 million, which is hardly a surprise given his rapid rise to prominence at OM.
A product of the Marseille youth academy, the 21-year-old had initially made his breakthrough way back in 2018/19 campaign. He notably made 31 league appearances in that season, becoming a key cog in the club’s backline.
The Frenchman found a new role during the second half of the following campaign as he got deployed in the holding midfield by Andres Villas-Boas. Since then, Kamara has earned plaudits for his performances in the number six position, shielding the Marseille backline with his remarkable defensive prowess and ability to win the ball back for his team.
Barcelona have been on the hunt for a holding midfielder for quite some time now as they prepare for life without Sergio Busquets. The ageing midfielder’s influence at the club has waned while new signing Miralem Pjanic isn’t getting any younger, leaving the Catalans devoid of any reliable long-term options in the number six position.
That is where Kamara comes into the fray. The Frenchman, as mentioned earlier, has enjoyed a lot of success in Ligue 1 and can be compared to PSG superstar Marquinhos. His ability to screen the backline is something Barca could use right now, while the youngster can also bring his versatility to the table for Ronald Koeman.
Unlike most talented youngsters, Kamara has also garnered a fair amount of experience at the highest level of football, having made nearly 100 competitive appearances for Marseille. It makes him a more reliable target compared to other youngsters and the experience itself could help him settle in quickly at Catalonia.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, however, matching Kamara’s apparent €60 million valuation could be a difficult task. In fact, Barcelona may even have to offload some of their unwanted players in an attempt to fund a move for the 21-year-old, though a lot will depend on the future of Lionel Messi as the Argentine’s potential departure next season, however tragical, could help the club start from scratch.