When quizzed about Aston Villa’s interest in Wilfred Ndidi last week, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers wasted little time in pointing out that, if the Midland giants are serious about luring the Nigeria international away from the King Power Stadium, then the depth of their pockets will be severely tested.
“£50 million? He’s worth much more than that!” Rodgers said.
“He’s been a really important player in my time here. You see the importance I give to him in the team. It’s a young team at the moment. His experience helps the players. Wherever I ask him to play, he gives us a great physicality.
“He seems very settled. He seems very happy. He’s a pleasure to work with. We hope he’ll be here for a few years.”
With his contract expiring in the summer of 2023, Yves Bissouma is not quite as expensive as Ndidi.
If Steven Gerrard is intent on adding a tough-tackling, ball-playing defensive midfielder to his Aston Villa squad in the summer, then the Midland giants may have little choice but to smash their transfer record into a thousand tiny pieces.
All which makes Villa’s reluctance to sign Boubacar Kamara during the January transfer window feel all the stranger.
Who will be Aston Villa’s new defensive midfielder?
According to The Athletic, Aston Villa scouted Kamara but decided against an approach. Why, is anyone’s guess.
Perhaps they were put off by the ongoing struggles of Morgan Sanson, Kamara’s seldom-seen former Marseille team-mate. Maybe they wanted a player with a proven track record in the Premier League, a la Ndidi or Bissouma.
Maybe they planned to wait until the summer, when Kamara’s contract expires.
With The Telegraph reporting that Atletico Madrid are weighing up a summer bid – Manchester United are also keen – Aston Villa will not be one of the frontrunners should they renew their interest in three months’ time.
“This kid is a phenomenon,” former Marseille team-mate Rolando said of the France U21 international.
“When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said ‘this little one is going to be a great player’.
“He is full of quality and, above all, he works hard. He listens. He’s extraordinary.”
With some of Europe’s biggest clubs now queuing up for Kamara – and with the bidding for their other midfield targets starting around the £50 million mark – this is a decision Aston Villa may live to regret.
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