In January 2022, Villa, then managed by Steven Gerrard, knew they lacked a real holding midfielder able to stablise the side and allow others, like John McGinn, more freedom. Villa factored in how midfield partnerships were overlooked and how balanced they need to be, comparing them to vital centre-back roles. Villa scouts watched Marseille's 2-0 win at Lens in January 2022 to assess Kamara against another potential target Cheick Doucoure, who went to Crystal Palace that summer. Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, then at Juventus, was an option but there were doubts over if he was the pure holding midfielder Villa needed and whether he could bring enough discipline to the role. He also watched Kamara in Marseille's Conference League semi-final defeat by Feyenoord.

Source: BBC January 02, 2026 14:13 UTC