Atletico Madrid refused to sign Boubacar Kamara due to hilarious reason
- Joe Hewlett
- 29 May 2022
Steven Gerrard is already making a dent in the transfer window and he can thank Atletico Madrid for his latest signing.
Boubacar Kamara had many admirers across Europe but the Frenchman decided to join Aston Villa.
Manchester United were reportedly interested but it was Atletico Madrid who were the front-runners to win his signature.
However, the Spanish outfit pulled out of the race and Kamara penned a five-year deal with Villa.
Kamara will be playing with forward Philippe Coutinho next season after the Brazilian turned his loan spell from Barcelona into a permanent deal.
The Midlands club have huge ambitions to break into Europe next season but fans have claimed Kamara's move to Villa was a financial decision.
But according to Daniel Riolo, there was more to it.
Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta apparently went to Kamara's house to greet him only to find him in shorts and barefoot with three of his friends in attendance.
Berta instantly decided that Kamara would not fit into Diego Simeone's squad and withdrew their interest.
While Mundo Deportivo reported the story, Kamara has since denied the reports at a press conference.
Regardless of the news, Villa boss Gerrard is excited at the arrival of Kamara and has predicted him to become a 'top player'.
"He'll certainly make our team and our squad a lot stronger," said Gerrard. "It shows our intent, already, straight after the season that's just passed us, and it shows our intent going into the new one. I'm delighted.
"He's a young player in terms of age but he plays with a lot of maturity. He's played a lot of games in one of the top five leagues, he's robust, very consistent and exactly the type of player we need if we want to go to the next level.
"He suits our style and I have no doubt that once he settles, the Aston Villa fans will be witnessing a very top player."
