Manchester United turned down an opportunity to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara late in the January transfer window.
Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Manchester United rejected a chance to get their hands on Marseille star Boubacar Kamara in the winter transfer window.
Kamara, a product of Marseille’s youth academy, has grown into a key player for the first team since bursting onto the scenes in 2017. Having initially begun as a centre-back, the 22-year-old has morphed into an accomplished defensive midfielder. One of the most reliable operators in his position in Ligue 1, he has made nearly 150 appearances for his club.
However, Kamara is in the final six months of his contract with the French giants. He has shown no inclination towards signing a new deal, with all signs pointing towards an exit in the summer transfer window. And Manchester United are among a host of clubs interested in the 22-year-old.
The Red Devils had held an interest in the Frenchman for quite some time now. And, his contract situation has only fueled talks about a move to Old Trafford. Fred and Scott McTominay have struggled to impress when deployed as a defensive midfielder while Nemanja Matic has been reduced to a marginalised figure at Old Trafford.
So, talks were rife about Ralf Rangnick plotting a move for a holding midfielder in January. Kamara was touted as a target, along with RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara. Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Manchester United were offered a chance to sign Kamara late in the January transfer window, but they chose not to pounce on the opportunity.
“Manchester United were offered the opportunity to sign Boubacar Kamara in the last days of the window but they turned down this chance because they will invest more money for the new manager. They want to wait and see what’s best,” Romano said on his podcast.
As the Italian journalist reveals, the 20-time English champions held back on the move for the Marseille midfielder as they are waiting to identify and appoint a permanent manager to succeed interim boss Rangnick before dipping their toes in the market.
It will be interesting to see if Manchester United decide to make a swoop for Kamara when his contract runs out in the summer. However, they have also identified West Ham United star Declan Rice as a target but face competition from Chelsea and Manchester City.
