Aston Villa 'considering' surprise swoop for £15m midfielder following Boubacar Kamara injury revelation
The latest Aston Villa transfer news as Unai Emery eyes a temporary replacement for Boubacar Kamara.
Aston Villa are reportedly weighing up a loan swoop for an experienced midfielder following the news that Boubacar Kamara is expected to miss the rest of the season through injury.
It was reported earlier this week that a second set of tests on Kamara’s knee revealed significant damage, keeping the France international out for many months. Initial scan results suggested Kamara would miss a few weeks but those hopes were quashed when Villa deepened their investigations.
Kamara, who missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, is now highly likely to miss the next tournament in the United States and Canada. It’s a significant blow for the 26-year-old and it was through no fault of his own as it was a poor challenge from Tottenham Hotspur’s Joao Palhinha which caused it.
Villa ‘considering’ AC Milan transfer swoop
Having also lost John McGinn through injury in the surprise defeat to Everton and still without Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley, Villa are very short of options in the centre of the park. Emery has been prioritising signing a new attacker to replace Donyell Malen but some of his focus has also now shifted to strengthening his midfield options.
With this in mind, one player Villa are reportedly eyeing is AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The Athletic reports the Villans are ‘considering’ a loan swoop for the former Chelsea midfielder after missing out on a move for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, who joined Spurs instead.
Loftus-Cheek has appeared in all but two of Milan’s 21 Serie A matches this season but there’s optimism from Villa that he would be allowed to leave, as he has only started nine of those. The 29-year-old has been involved in the England setup as recently as September, when Thomas Tuchel handed him a call-up six years on from his last.
It awaits to be seen whether Milan would be willing to loan out Loftus-Cheek, but it’s an avenue Villa are at least exploring. Emery is a long-time admirer and hopes a deal can be done. Loftus-Cheek, who Milan paid around £15 million for to sign from Chelsea in 2023, sees his contract at the San Siro expire in June 2027.