Manchester United were ‘offered’ the chance to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara last month, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Lowdown: Kamara talks
Kamara, primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back, is a soon-to-be free agent with his deal with Marseille set to expire at the end of June.
That means United could look to secure a pre-contract agreement right now ahead of a summer move, with reports suggesting United have spoken to Kamara’s agent.
The Red Devils were thought to be leading the race for the Frenchman’s services in January, but it seems as if they declined the chance to bring him to Old Trafford for a bargain fee last month.
The Latest: Romano’s post
Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to provide an update on Kamara’s situation.
He revealed that United were ‘offered’ the chance to sign Kamara with Marseille no doubt keen to make at least some money from his departure.
Denis Zakaria and Julian Alvarez are mentioned too, but also declined due to the club’s managerial situation.
“Manchester United were offered the chance to sign Boubacar Kamara, after Denis Zakaria and Julian Alvarez - turned down because of new manager plans in the summer. Buy options not included in Donny and Martial deal for the same reason.”
The Verdict: Strange
Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is set to move into a consultancy role in the summer until 2024, so you’d expect he’d have a say when it comes to possible signings over the next two years.
Therefore, it seems strange that United declined the chance to sign Kamara last month and seem happy to wait until a new boss is in place - the young midfielder completes roughly 90% of his passes and makes nearly two tackles per game, drawing praise as a 'phenomenon' by former teammate Rolando.
By the summer, Kamara may already have a different move tied up on a pre-contract deal, leaving United on the search for a new central midfielder going into the 2022/23 campaign instead of securing a £22.5m-rated player for a cut-price fee last month.