Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal ‘in transfer battle as historic offer lined up’

Boubacar Kamara has become one of Aston Villa’s most important players but before Champions League clash with PSG, French media say the midfielder is being watched by a host of top teams

Aston Villa star Boubacar Kamara is being eyed up by the Premier League’s traditional big four, it’s claimed. Central midfielder Kamara has been in top form for Unai Emery’s side this season since returning from a long-term injury last October and the club are set to offer him a bumper new contract – described by L’Equipe as “historic.”

But in a conveniently-timed report from the French daily ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, it claims that the product of Marseille’s academy is being watched by Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Arsenal are set to say goodbye to Thomas Partey and Jorginho this summer, meaning a new midfielder could be required, but Chelsea are well stocked in Kamara’s position with Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Liverpool and Manchester United are expected to prioritise other areas in the summer window.

Kamara, whose current terms at Villa Park run until the summer of 2027, has also been used as a centre half by Emery on a couple of occasions this season, while his partnership with Youri Tielemans has been key to getting Villa to the last eight of Europe’s biggest competition.

READ MORE: Unai Emery, Luis Enrique and the worst night of Aston Villa manager’s careerREAD MORE: Man Utd stars forced to go on money-spinning tour but Marcus Rashford to miss out

Belgian midfielder Tielemans, meanwhile, says the key for Villa against Ligue 1 champions PSG will be to focus on playing their own game.

Emery’s men are unbeaten in seven and remain in the hunt for qualifying for next season’s Champions League via a top five finish in the league, in addition to an FA Cup semi-final to come later this month.

“It’s a big occasion but we’re there for the game,” Tielemans told Villa’s in-house media. “We just want to play our game, we want to obviously win the game because that’s what we’re there for. And we’re going to do everything to do that.

“Confidence is there but we know we’ve got to be on our toes every time we’re on the pitch and we’ve got to focus. Every game is different, especially at this stage of the competition.

“PSG is a very big opponent, they’re in good form as well. We’re going to be facing a tough team.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.