clubs ready to draw for Mahdi Camara

It is just one year old, ASSE had given in under the weight of the insane offer from Leicester (35M € + 5M € of possible bonuses) for Wesley Fofana. A few days before the end of the summer transfer window, Tuesday August 31, the Saint-Etienne board could again suffer attacks from across the Channel.

As revealed by our colleagues from L’Équipe , Mahdi Camara, whose market value is estimated at € 5m by the site Transfermarkt, caught the eye of two Premier League teams. The first is a club in the middle of the table, well established in the English league, while the second is a promoted (Watford, Norwich or Brentford).

For now, no offer has been sent to the leaders of the Greens but it could soon arrive on their table.

ASSE must sell before upgrading it

Appointed captain after the departure of Mathieu Debuchy, Mahdi Camara is, at 23, the symbol of Saint-Etienne training this season. A “reliable” and regular player, as Claude Puel likes to remind him, who will certainly firmly oppose his departure, the midfielder played 38 of the 39 ASSE matches last year. Except that today, the native of Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône) believes that his emoluments do not comply with his new status.

Despite his extension with an increase in spring 2020 (until June 2024), he receives less – almost half – than Zaydou Youssouf, who will be his understudy. This situation would tickle the player who, suddenly, opened the door to a start even if he is very attached to Saint-Etienne and would see himself continuing the adventure in his training club.

Still under strong budgetary constraints, ASSE, which has still not recorded the slightest recruit but has extended – and increased – Lucas Gourna and Yvan Neyou, among others, must first (finally) sell before upgrading its captain.

Departures, including that of Ryad Boudebouz (200,000 euros gross per month, under contract until June 2022), would allow the Forez club to reduce its payroll. And therefore not to risk losing your captain in the final stretch of the transfer window by increasing it.