Aston Villa have started contract talks with Boubacar Kamara in a key piece of business for manager Unai Emery.
Kamara is in line for a new long-term deal after emerging as one of Emery’s most crucial players as they prepare for the run-in and a Champions League quarter-final against against Paris St-Germain.
Telegraph Sport understands that negotiations are now underway with the France international’s representatives, which was always the plan after the January transfer window closed.
Emery is keen for Villa to finalise Kamara’s future as soon as possible, and there is an expectation that an agreement will be reached without any issues.
Kamara is a defensive midfielder but recently underlined his vast importance to Villa by operating in the centre of defence to solve an injury crisis.
Signed on a free transfer from Marseille by Steven Gerrard in May 2022, Kamara’s current contract expires in June 2027.
Villa are aware of interest in the 25 year old from clubs across Europe yet are confident of thrashing out terms to ensure his future is with Emery.
Analysis: Signing up Kamara could be Emery’s most important deal of 2025
Villa signed Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio in a whirlwind finale to the transfer window, but the importance of Kamara to this team cannot possibly be overestimated.
Kamara is a Rolls Royce, Lamborghini and Porsche rolled into one, and the team simply cannot function as effectively without him.
Since returning from a knee injury earlier this season, he has been outstanding for Emery in front of the back-four.
Recent injuries resulted in him filling in at centre-back - a position he does have previous experience of with Marseille - and he still made the game appear so easy.
After the Champions League victory over Celtic in January, Emery went out of his way to praise Kamara for his performance to take focus away from the transfer saga surrounding Jhon Duran.
Kamara’s importance to Villa was further underlined after it emerged he had been holding daily talks with Chelsea’s Axel Disasi over a potential move.
Disasi, a France national team-mate, duly joined Villa on loan for the season and Kamara’s sales pitch is thought to have been invaluable.
With less than eighteen months left on Kamara’s present contract, Villa know this is always a risky time for players attracting interest from elsewhere.
Villa are still restricted a little by Profitability and Sustainability Rules [PSR] and could probably solve many problems by selling Kamara in the summer.
Yet Emery clearly believes the Frenchman is indispensable, and the new contract will reflect his star status in the Villa squad.
