According to The Week, Chelsea and Arsenal are set to battle it out for Marseille youngster Boubacar Kamara in the summer transfer window, with Serie A giants AC Milan also joining the race to land the highly-rated defender.
Kamara has enjoyed his first full season at Marseille after playing a bit-part role since his debut back in 2016 and his consistently impressive displays at the back have put the Premier League clubs on red alert. The 19-year-old has established himself as one of the mainstays of Marseille’s backline in Ligue 1 and Europa League this season, making 24 appearances across all competitions. In fact, Kamara’s technique, game reading and elegance at the back have drawn comparisons with Brazilian skipper Thiago Silva.
Born in France to parents of Senegalese descent, Kamara is capable of playing as a central defensive midfielder and a left-back even though he is primarily a centre-back by trade. Known for his composure in possession and ability to play out from the back, the 19-year-old has averaged 40.3 passes per game in the Ligue 1 this term with an accuracy percentage of 88.1.
However, that is not his only strength, with the teenage sensation showing maturity that belies his tender years both in terms of decision-making and game-reading at the heart of the defence, whilst also promising a lot with his positional awareness. As a matter of fact, Kamara has completed 33 of his attempted 41 tackles to go along with his 30 interceptions from 19 appearances in the league.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal signing for both the London clubs in question but Chelsea can bag a massive coup by getting their hands on the French prodigy.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea are in need of bringing in defensive reinforcements in the summer, with Unai Emery and Maurizio Sarri set to reshape the squad heading into the upcoming campaign. Chelsea have struggled under Sarri after a strong start to the season and the Blues need more depth in their squad to challenge the likes of Man City and Liverpool for the title.
David Luiz has been a regular at the heart of the defence for the Blues alongside Antonio Rudiger but the Blues face the risk of losing the Brazilian in the summer upon the expiry of his current deal. Sarri hasn’t shown much confidence in the out of favour duo of Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill, with both the players spending long spells on the sidelines due to lack of regular minutes.
To sum it up, the Blues have question marks over the future of several of their defenders, further epitomizing the need for fresh faces in the summer.
That said, they should not hesitate to splash the cash on the highly-rated French youth international in a bid to add depth to their options at the back.