•  Aston Villa star has been an unsung hero for the club this season, with his consistent performances often going unnoticed.
•  The £150k-a-week earner’s value has been recognised by top Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool, who were all interested in signing him.

Aston Villa ace Boubacar Kamara has flown under the radar with his performances this season and transfer insider Dean Jones has explained why the club’s ‘unsung hero’ at Villa Park, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

Unai Emery, who has overseen 38 Villa games since taking over the reins late 2022, has impressed in the early embers of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Aston Villa news – Boubacar Kamara

Back in the summer of 2022, the Midlands-based outfit signed Kamara on a five-year contract, per Sky Sports, and the impressive midfield operator praised then Villa boss Steven Gerrard and the Villa higher-ups upon his arrival.

“When I met with Steven [Gerrard], Christian [Purslow] and Johan [Lange] in my home I knew Aston Villa was for me. Their ambition and determination to succeed matches my own. I cannot wait for pre-season to get going.”

The 23-year-old Frenchman joined the Premier League side on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Marseille and in hindsight, they may have bagged one of the league’s most underrated midfielders seeing how was instrumental in their European-securing 2022/23 campaign.

Playing in 26 games last term, Emery’s outfit struggled during his six-game absence that came in October, amassing just the one win in six. His return to action spruced them into a strong run of form as they won five of their seven next fixtures, highlighting that it’s abundantly clear that he acts a vital part of Villa’s backbone and that without him, they perform much, much worse.

In a side praised for their free-flowing attack consisting of Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby, Kamara’s consistency in a Villa strip often goes unnoticed, while The Athletic has hailed him as an ‘almost irreplaceable’ part of Emery’s well-oiled Villa machine and now, Jones has given GIVEMESPORT his verdict on how crucial he is to Villa’s success.

No surprise that three Premier Leagues were eyeing £150k-a-week Aston Villa ace – Dean Jones

Jones suggested that it now comes as little surprise that Kamara, who earns £150,000-per-week at his current employers, was pinpointed by Premier League trio Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal prior to his switch to Villa. The reputable reporter also insisted that he often slips through the cracks thanks to Villa’s impressive attacking department. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“Yeah, I mean, Boubacar Kamara is brilliant, and I think that you just got to look at the type of teams that were looking at Kamara before he actually ended up signing for Aston Villa to show what a good player they signed. Manchester United had a look, Arsenal had a look and Liverpool were linked with him.

“This is a player that is considered to be a really good prospect in the France national team as well – he’s been really impressive. And I think it’s his mentality, too, towards things that is going to help him make sure that he stays established within that Aston Villa setup. So he’s been really good this season and I think it’s fair to say he is actually an unsung hero when you consider where all the plaudits go week to week.”

Ollie Watkins in line to sign new long-term contract amid Premier League interest

Tying down the talismanic Watkins will be high on Emery’s agenda seeing as the days on his current contract are running down with it set to expire in the summer of 2025.

The former Brentford striker signed for the club back in 2020 for a then club-record fee around the £33m mark, a figure that Jones has since told GIVEMESPORT can be regarded as a ‘steal’, and has been ever so important to the club’s fortunes since, recording 50 goals and 16 assists in his 127-game career at his employers, per Transfermarkt data.

Per BBC Sport, Villa are currently in active dialogue with the striker over a new long-term contract, amid reports from Football Transfers that London duo Arsenal and Chelsea, who are both in need of an out-and-out centre-forward, are both closely monitoring his situation.

The report suggests the 27-year-old England international, who has recently been called up by Gareth Southgate for his nation’s squad for October, is at a crossroads in terms of his playing career and has a big decision to make.

Villa are one of the Premier League deemed to be on an upwards trajectory so remaining on their books could be a wise decision on Watkins’ part, especially as his game time could take a dent should he opt for a move to a team such as Arsenal or Chelsea.