Boubacar Kamara became an Aston Villa player on Monday morning.
The club wasted little time in completing their first summer signing following the permanent arrival of Philippe Coutinho, confirming the deal less than 24 hours after the final whistle went on the 2021/22 season.
Kamara left Olympique Marseille to ink a five-year deal contract at Villa.
Here are five things to know about our new signing…
1. Marseille Centurion
Born and raised in Marseille, Kamara joined Olympique’s Academy at the age of five and went on to become a homegrown hero for the club.
Despite being just 22, the midfielder leaves his hometown side having made 170 appearances for the senior team.
Kamara made his debut for Marseille just under a month after he turned 17, in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Sochaux in December 2016.
2. European Experience
The majority of Kamara’s matches for Marseille have been in Ligue 1, but he’s also featured in the Champions League, Europa League and, most recently, the Europa Conference League.
In October 2020, he made his Champions League debut against Manchester City and went on to feature in five of their six group games that year.
Kamara also racked up 16 appearances in the Europa League, helping Marseille reach the final against Atletico Madrid in 2018, where he was an unused substitute.
Last season he played a key role as the French side reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, starting five of their seven knockout games.
3. International Promise
Kamara received his maiden call-up to the France senior squad earlier this month for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark, Austria and Croatia.
Didier Deschamps selected the midfielder after his fine form domestically, but he has also impressed for Les Bleus at age-group level.
Appearances for France at Under-17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 level have included selection for the U17, U19 and U21 European Championships and the U20 World Cup.
4. Positional Sense
Kamara has been utilised in a number of positions since breaking into the senior side at Marseille.
Playing under four managers – Rudi Garcia, Andre Villas-Boas, Nasser Larguet (caretaker) and Jorge Sampoali – Kamara was initially deployed as a centre-back, occasionally featuring at right and left-back when required.
In recent seasons, a move further forward has seen him excel as a defensive midfielder, while showcasing versatility as a central midfielder and even as a right-sided midfielder.
Wherever he's played, Kamara has proven his quality, and since making his Ligue 1 debut, he has been responsible for only a single error leading to an opposition goal across 130 league matches.
5. Seal of Approval
Villa head coach Steven Gerrard was in the stands to see Kamara playing for Marseille against Nantes in April.
The Frenchman, playing as the deepest midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation, was highly influential at the Stade Velodrome, helping the hosts overturn a deficit to win 3-2.
Kamara registered an assist and helped to manage the tempo of the game as his side dominated possession (76%) and completed more than three times as many passes as their opponents.
