New Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard couldn’t have asked for a much better start to life in the Midlands, given their recent run of fixtures.
Three victories in his first five games in charges have propelled the Villans up the Premier League table, with defeats to title challengers Manchester City and Liverpool the only blots on his copybook.
An eight-point gap to the relegation zone has emerged since Gerrard’s arrival from Scottish champions Rangers, allowing the Villa Park outfit to look up the table rather than over their shoulders once again.
However, to continue their surge up the division, the Midlanders may be forced into the transfer market during the January window as injuries threaten to expose a lack of squad depth.
The in-form Marvelous Nakamba is believed to have picked up a fresh knee injury while Morgan Sanson continues his slow road back to full fitness.
But one possible solution is for Gerrard to return to his old club and raid their engine room options for the highly-rated Glen Kamara, placing his faith in a player who performed for him on a regular basis on the European stage.
It’s recently been revealed by The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell in the comments section of an article of his that the Rangers midfielder could well be a target of the 41-year-old this winter, as the £21,000-per-week gem is a player who Gerrard is extremely fond of.
In response to a question asking whether the Villa boss could make a move for Kamara, Campbell said: “I would not be surprised if he came in for him as he loves him as a player.”
While Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge claimed Gerrard is a “big, big fan” of the Finland international, opening the door to a potential move over the coming months.
And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why Kamara is so highly thought of by the retired Liverpool and England box-to-box dynamo.
As per WhoScored, the defensive-minded maestro has averaged 1.4 tackles in the Europa League this season, 1.4 interceptions, 0.8 key passes and one dribble, achieving a passing accuracy of 87%.
The £5.4m-rated star has long been outlined for success, though, with his former Dundee manager Neil McCann, labelling him a ‘special talent’ back in 2019.
“He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong,” said McCann.
“I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”
And Kamara’s tactical discipline, impressive passing range and versatility would provide the perfect balance to the more attack-minded, hard-working John McGinn, who has already bagged three goals and provided two assists this season.
With a midfielder partnership of Kamara and McGinn, Villa would scare any opposition, and Gerrard must consider a swoop for his former player this January.
And, in other news…Lange could save AVFC millions with £46k-p/w machine who will “get better and better”
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