Manchester United and the rest of the Premier League are only weeks away from opening the January transfer window. And even though no deals have been confirmed yet, the rumours surrounding them are ramping up.
Ralf Rangnick, the interim manager for Manchester United, is well-known for his savvy ability in the transfer market throughout the footballing world.
According to reports from The Athletic, United are very interested in Marseille's Boubacar Kamara. The 22-year-old Frenchman plays as a defensive midfielder for the French side, primarily as a lone defensive midfielder.
Kamara measures in at six-foot and has the physicality and defensive ability to play in the holding role, while also being able to playmake at a high level from deeper positions.
United fans have been screaming out for a defensive midfielder for the past few seasons ever since the decline of Nemanja Matic and with Scott McTominay and Fred not natural No.6s.
With Kamara becoming a free agent in the summer of 2022, United could strike early in January to get the young Frenchman at a cut price.
Even though Rangnick doesn't play a lone defensive midfielder in his 4-2-2-2 formation, most of his two-man midfields deploy a box-to-box midfielder with another who will sit slightly deeper.
With RB Leipzig, Rangnick would use Konrad Laimer next to Amadou Haidara or Naby Keita, with Laimer sitting deeper, connecting the defence to the midfield, with Haidara or Keita bursting forward with the ball.
United could replicate this with the addition of Kamara, using McTominay and Fred as box-to-box midfielders themselves — or one of Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, or Haidara, all of whom they've been linked with.
It is rare to find midfielders of this ilk in modern football. The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Rice, Maxence Caqueret, or Wilfried Ndidi either lack the passing or defensive ability to succeed independently.
Arguably, the only players of this ability are Rodri, Fabinho, Casemiro, and Ruben Neves. Kamara is another player who can be added to this list.
According to StatsBomb, Kamara is a ball-winner in multiple forms. He is a presser, dueller and interceptor, but also as comfortable against the press as he is when pressing himself.
The 22-year-old is Marseille's deepest midfielder in possession, comfortable in drawing opponents in through ball retention, then bypassing them through silky footwork or combinations with teammates. His trademark is diagonal balls from the left side of the pitch to the right flank.
The France under-21 international is one of just 10 under-23 midfielders in Europe's top five leagues to rank in the top 25 per cent for ball-winning and ball retention.
Kamara was said to have rejected offers from the likes of Leicester and Newcastle in the summer of 2021, in which you would assume he had higher ambitions. Being able to play with a compatriot such as Raphael Varane and developing under Rangnick could suit these ambitions, although the links are just links at this stage and nothing more substantial.
For the price, his ability, and his very young age, it's still a move United should be chomping at the bit to make. Get him in.
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