Liverpool should sign Boubacar Kamara.
Marseille’s versatile defensive starlet has been impressive during his 63 Ligue 1 matches, and can play as a defensive midfielder or central defender.
The 20-year-old could become an important piece of the Liverpool puzzle moving forward, and the club should take a serious look at him.
We need a fourth choice centre-back, and while this isn’t an attractive pitch at first glance, the way Jurgen Klopp picks his team is dramatically influenced by injury and form and there’s no reason by Boubacar Kamara couldn’t force his way in.
Dejan Lovren managed to do it over Christmas, when he impressed and ended up keeping Joe Gomez out of the side. Lovren’s injury was the only reason Gomez managed to earn his starting role back.
Gomez and third choice Joel Matip have an awful injury record over recent seasons, and there’s no reason to believe that will improve dramatically this campaign. Thus, another defender should be considered a priority.
Kamara can be that man.
According to Smarter Scout, he ticks a lot of Liverpool boxes.
The youngster is good in the air, can dribble, can make progressive passes, is an excellent disrupter and recoverer of the ball. His defending quality and quantity are both above 70, while a ball retention of 51 shows that he’s good at working his way out of difficult situations.
While these stats aren’t quite as good as Matip’s, they are highly promising for a youngster who can only get better. Kamara is a better passer of the ball, which might be why he’s comfortable in midfield, but Matip is a superior defender.
Klopp wants the defence to build up from the back, and it’s clear that Kamara has the ability to do so. He can also drop into a defensive midfield role, and spent over 1,000 minutes in that position last season.
This would help with squad rotation over congested periods, giving Fabinho a breather and allowing Jordan Henderson the freedom to operate in his favoured role on the right of midfield.
Price could be a concern. SI reported that he may cost in the region of £28 million, while Get Football News France said Marseille wouldn’t be looking to sell him this season.
Despite those worries, this is still a man Liverpool should be looking at moving forward.