Gerrard ‘could convince’ £22.5million ‘phenom’ to sign

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard ‘hopes’ to persuade Marseille midfielder Boubacar to join his ongoing revolution this summer, according to a reporter Pete O’Rourke.
The 22-year-old is expected to become a free agent in the coming months when his contract expires at the end of June, with several teams believed to be vying for his signature.
What’s the latest news about Kamara?
Marseille chairman Pablo Longoria has previously confirmed that Kamara will not sign a new deal with the French giants after he reportedly demanded a huge raise from his current £46,000-a-week wage.
“Losing a player at the end of the contract, especially one of your best and one with one of the best (transfer) values in the team, is always a failure,” Longoria said.
And according to Goal, reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are leading the race to sign Kamara ahead of Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
However, it now appears Villa have entered the fray for the former France Under-21 international, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, as Gerrard seeks to resolve his engine room issues.
A recent report from Football Insider claims the 41-year-old tactician was present at the Stade Velodrome to personally scout Kamara as OM beat Nantes 3-2 in a Ligue 1 match recently.
What did O’Rourke say about Kamara?
O’Rourke believes signing the versatile ‘phenomenon’ is ‘going to be difficult’ for Villa due to the level of competition, but reckons Gerrard ‘hopes’ he can convince him to commit his future to the Midlands side.
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He told GiveMeSport: “Boubacar Kamara, who is a free agent this summer and highly sought after by several clubs interested in his services; the likes of Manchester United and Juventus have also been linked.
“So it’s going to be tough for Aston Villa to do, but Gerrard obviously hopes he can convince him to move to Villa Park.”
What is Villa’s current situation in midfield?
According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, AS Roma ‘remain’ interested in signing Douglas Luiz, who has entered the final 14 months of his existing contract at Villa Park.
And BirminghamLive say contract talks ‘have not progressed’ in recent weeks either, meaning an imminent exit could be on the cards for the Brazilian.
As a result, Villa have been linked with Kalvin Phillips and Yves Bissouma, with a new midfielder seemingly high on Gerrard’s wishlist for the summer window.
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