The transfer window isn’t even open yet, and Aston Villa have already made two permanent signings ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
While the retaining of star midfielder Philippe Coutinho was roundly celebrated, and rightfully so, the signing of Boubacar Kamara is arguably an even more important move.
The absence of a commanding defensive midfielder has been a well-known issue for Villa in recent seasons, but upon further examination, it has actually been a problem spot for over a decade.
Douglas Luiz has been forced to playing in a deeper role for much of his Villa career, but this is not his natural position and Marvelous Nakamba has served as Villa’s only true defensive midfielder since the club’s return to the Premier League. His defensive work has been valuable, but Nakamba’s shortcomings with the ball at his feet has been plain to see.
In the Championship, Villa had Mile Jedinak and Glenn Whelan, once reliable Premier League players who were past their best.
Villa did manage to recruit a quality defensive midfielder in Idrissa Gueye in 2015, but he was stuck on one of the worst teams in Premier League history and made a swift exit once the club was relegated.
Before that, there was Carlos Sanchez, who had similar strengths to Nakamba but unfortunately, similar weaknesses too. Going back even further, Villa was relying on the likes of Yacouba Sylla and Jean Makoun.
The argument can be made that Villa’s last reliable defensive midfielder with any longevity was Nigel Reo-Coker. He left the club in 2011.
The recruitment department at Villa Park made the position a priority this summer and acted quickly to secure a real coup by bringing in Kamara on a free transfer.
This is spectacular for two reasons. Not only is it obviously a bargain, it means more funds can be spent on other positions.
So, what does Kamara bring to the table? Let’s examine what Villa are getting in the Frenchman.
Starting with the basics, Kamara has made more than 150 appearances for Marseille and is still only 22 years old. The right-footed defensive midfielder stands at 6’0 tall.
That second part is notable because in 2021/22, Villa was the only Premier League side without a regular starting midfielder who was at least 6’0 tall. That showed at times through Villa’s lack of ability to physically dominate in midfield.
While primarily a midfielder, Kamara is believed to have the versatility to play as a centre-back, and did so for Marseille on multiple occasions.
Looking deeper at his defensive contribution, Kamara stacks up well when compared to his positional peers in the top five European Leagues.
Kamara ranks in the 67th percentile for tackles, the 79th percentile for interceptions and clearances, and the 66th percentile for aerial duels won. For context, Nakamba ranks in the 88th, 77th, 69th and 44th percentile for those stats respectively.
When adjusted for the number of shots his team faced, Kamara ranks 3rd in shots blocked per 90 minutes out of 67 Ligue 1 midfielders with at least 20 appearances this season. Kamara also won more fouls than he gave away this season.
When watching Kamara, you see a player who reads the game well and smells danger. He anticipates where the ball will go and takes up smart positions to cut off passing lanes, particularly in his team’s defensive third. It just feels like he’s always in the right place.
He can cover ground and ranges well to the touchline to close down ball carriers in space. Kamara effectively pressures opponents on their first touch and showed the intelligence to drop into spaces and cover for centre-backs who are out of position as well.
The thing that really separates Kamara from other defensive midfielders is his quality on the ball. He ranks in the 97th percentile for pass attempts, the 96th percentile for pass accuracy, the 60th percentile for progressive passes and the 62nd percentile for progressive carries. Comparatively, Nakamba ranks in the 10th, 67th, 16th and 2nd percentile.
He is comfortable taking the ball from his centre-backs and doesn’t panic under pressure with the ball at his feet. Kamara distributes the ball well to his teammates and keeps things ticking. Kamara was 3rd out of 67 Ligue 1 midfielders in received passes per 90 minutes.
The Frenchman ranked 7th in forward passes and 8th in forward pass accuracy, he is not just a ‘keep it simple’ midfielder and is able to progress the ball forward consistently.
When his team are in the final third, he doesn’t just get out of the way, he gets involved and looks to receive the ball on the edge of the box. Kamara showed the ability to play effective long passes behind the defence too.
The downside of Kamara is that he does not give much in terms of goal contributions, but frankly, that’s not what he’s being brought to Villa for.
He ranked 50th in successful attacking actions per 90 minutes among 67 Ligue 1 midfielders, 59th in xG, 51st in shots, 57th in shot on target percentage, 53rd in cross accuracy and 53rd in shot assists. Kamara did not have an assist or a second assist this season.
However, it is worth noting three of his Ligue 1 starts this campaign were at centre-back, which could be slightly pulling some of his attacking numbers down. Kamara did rank 17th in offensive duels win rate, which indicates his lack of offensive output could be more down to a shortage of opportunities.
Ultimately, the acquisition of Boubacar Kamara is an extremely exciting one for Villa and is another statement of intent. The fact Kamara has left his boyhood club who will be playing in the Champions League next season to join the project at Villa Park speaks volumes.
Two of the three closest statistical comps to Kamara are Sergio Busquets and Fabinho, which gives an indication of the type of talent Villa are getting.
There is of course the risk Kamara could struggle to adapt to the Premier League and settle in England, he has been at Marseille since the age of five and other midfielders such as Kalvin Phillips and Yves Bissouma would have brought less adaptation risk.
Kamara has the physicality and mobility to handle himself in the Premier League, but he can be guilty of dwelling on the ball too long at times. This is not an uncommon issue for players new to the Premier League, but he will need to get used to the step up in speed and intensity.
He ranked 52nd out of 67 Ligue 1 midfielders in accelerations this season, and he may need to find an extra gear in terms of urgency to thrive in the Premier League.
But the bottom line is Kamara is already a quality defensive midfielder who has the potential to get better and better, and getting him on a free transfer represents fantastic business from Villa’s recruitment team.
The Villa Ramble 
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