Three-way battle between European giants including Chelsea for 22-year-old Ligue 1 starlet

Chelsea to battle Barcelona and Bayern Munich for Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara

According to the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (h/t ESPN), Chelsea are ready to battle Barcelona and Bayern Munich for Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara. He is one of the highly-rated midfield prospects in Ligue 1 and has enjoyed a rapid rise in stature during the last two years.

Kamara will see his current deal with the French club expire at the end of the 2021-22 season. He could reach a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs this month ahead of a free transfer next summer. Barca are interested in facilitating a free transfer due to their financially stricken situation.

Bayern are also keeping tabs on the situation and would pose a great threat to the Blues’ hopes of landing the player. All three clubs could reach a pre-contract agreement with the 22-year-old, which could potentially result in a war over the wages offered to him.

One to look out for?

The Frenchman could be an excellent signing for us as he has been tearing it up in France over the past two seasons. However, the obvious question that is going through everyone’s mind is whether we need him in our midfield.

The competition in our midfield is pretty high, with players like Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount performing to their best at the moment. Saul Niguez had stepped it up with a Man of the Match display against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals when we won 2-0.

Ross Barkley is another midfield option, even if he has been sidelined, having fallen down the pecking order. Ruben Loftus-Cheek cannot be overlooked, although he has been out in the past few games due to Covid and an injury. We also have loanees like Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher, who would return to Stanford Bridge at the end of this campaign.

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Gallagher, particularly, has been sensational in the Premier League and is bound to play a major role considering his current form. As such, it is difficult to see us vying actively for the Ligue 1 star unless there are some departures. We could deem Barkley dispensable while opting to let Niguez return to Atletico Madrid once the season ends.

Even so, the return of our duo loanees would negate these potential departures, which further paints doubt on whether we would sign the Marseille star. Moreover, our priority should be defensive reinforcements, considering how we are going through an injury crisis in the wingback position while our three centre-backs are in the final six months of their contract.