Aston Villa are enjoying the summer transfer window however, there is one key issue that Unai Emery must solve ahead of 2024/25.
It’s been a fast start to the summer at Bodymoor Heath, as Unai Emery and Monchi have seen players arrive at, and depart Aston Villa.
The duo will be eager to bolster the squad in preparation for the upcoming season, with the transfer market having the potential to allow for added quality to be integrated.
Despite there being a long way to go until deadline day, Emery must act fast this summer to solve one of the biggest issues currently plaguing his squad.
Unai Emery must find cover for Boubacar Kamara ahead of 2024/25 season
One of the biggest disappointments of last term was the season-ending injury to Boubacar Kamara in February.
The defensive midfielder suffered an ACL blow that will see him out of action until several months into the 2024/25 campaign.
Villa suffered as a result of Kamara’s absence, a problem that has now been stressed by journalist John Townley.
Speaking on the Claret and Blue podcast, the Villa expert explained how important it is for Emery to find a suitable replacement for the midfielder as he continues his recovery.
“We need to get better at defending set pieces and coping without Boubacar Kamara, or coping with Enzo Barrenechea.
“Having the holding midfielder is crucial because of the amount of times Villa conceded more than two goals in a game after Kamara was injured, it was quite staggering.
“Obviously, different things go into that but during pre-season, we need to find a way to cope without Kamara.”
To add to their midfield woes, Villa offloaded Kamara’s counterpart Douglas Luiz to ease PSR concerns, meaning Emery will need to figure out how to replenish the position ahead of next term.
Aston Villa must find a way to cope without Kamara
Given the severity of the 24-year-old’s injury, the last thing Villa will be doing is placing a timeframe on the Frenchman’s return.
While midfielders such as Barrenechea and Ross Barkley have been added to the squad, Townley expressed some mild concern over the former Juventus starlet’s claim to replacing Kamara.
Having only played one season at senior level in his career so far, it’s unknown just how effective Barrenechea will be in the early days of his time at Villa, with Barkley identified as a more attacking option.
Kamara’s role in Villa’s squad is so crucial because he is the only player of his profile currently in the side, being the anchor in Emery’s free-flowing midfield.
The detrimental impact of not having the former Marseille whiz in their ranks was evident in the latter stages of last season and is something the manager must solve ahead of next term.
It will be interesting to see if the void can be filled with those already in the squad, or whether another new face could arrive to fill in the blanks.
