Aston Villa’s season has been incredible to date. Not only have they secured passage into the last 16 of the Europa Conference League, but they are still in the FA Cup and are currently occupying fourth place in the Premier League table after their recent 5-0 win over Sheffield United.
Unai Emery has totally reinvigorated the club following the disastrous reign of Steven Gerrard, which saw Villa floating just above the relegation spots when he was eventually sacked in October 2022.
The Spaniard has built a squad which, on their day, can beat anyone in the top flight, evidenced by the two victories over Manchester City and Arsenal in December.
If, and it’s a big if, Emery can secure Champions League qualification for Villa this season, he will surely be able to attract bigger and brighter talent during the summer window, thus improving his squad.
The 52-year-old does, however, have a host of players who have seen their value increase since he has taken over at the Midlands club, with Boubacar Kamara being one of the most notable names who could secure the club a major profit should he be sold in the near future.
Boubacar Kamara’s valuation at Marseille
The midfielder began his career with French side Marseille and made his debut during the 2016/17 campaign.
From the 2018/19 season to the 2021/22 campaign, Kamara became a key figure in their first team and made 24 or more appearances each term in the French top flight.
His former teammate, Rolando, once lavished praise on the Frenchman when he first started training alongside the senior squad, saying:
“This kid is a phenomenon. When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said, no, but this little one is going to be a great player. He’s the kind of central defender I like. He is full of qualities and, above all, he works, he listens. It is out of the ordinary”
High praise indeed, and during his final campaign for the club, Kamara ranked third among his teammates for accurate passes per game (63.5), along with ranking second for tackles per game (two) and first for interceptions per game (1.4) as he clearly demonstrated his defensive attributes.
These performances during his final year at the club saw him valued at €18.9m (£16m), yet by this point, he had secured a move to Aston Villa for the princely sum of £0 as his contract had expired and the Midlands outfit secured his signature on a pre-contract.
Boubacar Kamra’s valuation at Aston Villa
The signing of the Frenchman was seen as a major coup, especially considering it was not going to cost the club a single penny and Gerrard believed he had signed a wonderful talent, saying:
"I am delighted that we have been able to attract one of the most promising young talents in European football.”
There was plenty of room for him to develop in the Premier League and, with Gerrard at the helm, he had no better mentor looking to guide him to the very top.
28
€51.3m
27
€48.2m
25
€47.4m
24
€45m
29
€39.5m
His debut campaign was disrupted by knee and ankle injuries which saw the 24-year-old miss 14 league matches, and he subsequently missed out on a place in the France squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He didn’t have the required consistency levels to properly demonstrate his talents in front of Emery when he took over, yet he still ranked in the top five in the squad for accurate passes, tackles, interceptions, and accurate long balls per game, showing that if he was allowed the chance to play more regularly, he could have an even bigger influence on the team.
At the time of writing, Kamra is now currently valued at a staggering €45m (£38m) and this is due to his excellent performances under Emery during the current season.
Boubacar Kamara has impressed for Aston Villa this season
The key aspect to his improved displays and more consistent run in the team is that he has not suffered any injuries during 2023/24.
The only league games he has missed were due to suspension and the £150k-per-week maestro has started 19 games in the top flight, emerging as a key force alongside Douglas Luiz in the heart of Emery’s midfield.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the Frenchman as a “high quality midfield controller” during his time in France and these skills have enabled him to dictate the play so often in matches this term, allowing Luiz to push further forward and provide an attacking threat.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, Kamara’s passing statistics stand out as he ranks in the top 12% for pass completion percentage per 90 (88.8%) and this indicates that he is a reliable passer who Emery can trust to circulate the ball efficiently during matches.
Kamara has continued to showcase his defensive acumen too, currently ranking first and second among the Villa squad for tackles (2.2) and interceptions (one) per game, while he tends to lose possession less often than his teammates, ranking 11th in the squad for this metric.
There is no doubt the club have an excellent midfield talent at their disposal, and he will only continue to get better and better as time goes on.
While Emery won't be thinking of selling him anytime soon, the fact that he is worth £38m, despite costing nothing, will give Villa a serious profit should a Premier League giant look to prise him away from the Midlands.
Gerrard did not receive many plaudits at Villa, especially during the final few months, but he did bring Kamara to the club and for this, he must be praised.
Emery’s job now is to continue utilising him in the same role between now and the end of the season and, hopefully, the former Marseille starlet can be the hidden gem which powers Villa to a trophy.
Having waited 28 years for another major title, the Spaniard has legitimate chances in both the FA Cup and Europa Conference League to end this drought for good.