Why Aston Villa should bolster their midfield with Glen Kamara
Back in May, a report from France Football (h/t Birmingham Live) had mentioned Aston Villa among the potential suitors for Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara. The Finnish international was also linked with a return to his former club Arsenal, with Steven Gerrard’s side pointing to an asking price upwards of £10million for the enforcer.
However, the 25-year-old ended up staying put at Ibrox and has continued to enhance his reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in Scottish football.
Profile
Born in Finland, Glen Kamara started his career in England with Southend United before moving to Arsenal in 2012. Despite establishing himself as a regular fixture for the Gunners’ U-23 side, the midfielder just managed a solitary competitive appearance for the club. He spent time on loan at his former club Southend and Colchester United before moving north of the border with Dundee back in 2017.
Kamara made 46 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish top-flight club in his debut season and followed it up with 19 outings during the first half of the following campaign. His exploits paved the way for a move to heavyweights Rangers, who paid a paltry £50,000 to secure his services in January 2019.
The Finnish star has since established himself as a key cog in the Gers midfield, racking up 78 appearances in all competitions so far.
Kamara would be a good long-term option for the Villans
Aston Villa have forked out millions of pounds to bolster their squad with several quality players following their return to the top-flight back in 2019. But the Villans can certainly do with another central midfielder in their ranks to reduce the workload on regular starters John McGinn and Douglas Luiz.
With Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury out of contract in the summer and Marvelous Nakamba very much a peripheral figure in Dean Smith’s set-up, the manager would be wise enough to line up some alternatives. Jacob Ramsey has been touted for a bright future but he’s hardly a finished article at just 19.
Aston Villa should start keeping tabs on Glen Kamara once again ahead of the January window. The 25-year-old has come a long way since his failure to make the grade at Arsenal. The tough-tackling enforcer is held in high regard at Rangers and would undoubtedly add a lot more depth and quality to Villa’s midfield ranks.
Verdict
Glen Kamara might have failed to make an impression in English football earlier in his career but his impressive rise north of the border should be enough to warrant him another shot at proving his credentials in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old has backed up his strong domestic form at Ibrox with some quality displays in the Europa League. That clearly underlines his ability to deliver the goods against tougher opposition.
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The Finnish enforcer still potentially has his best days ahead of him and Villa completing a deal for him in January would serve them well for several seasons to come.
