Steven Gerrard talks & imminent free transfer - what happened to £12m star who rejected Wolves

Who can forget Wolverhampton Wanderers’ deadline day dash in 2021?

In the weeks leading up to the deadline, head coach Bruno Lage requested fresh blood and Wolves’ hierarchy tried desperately to provide him with it. The problem was that Jeff Shi, Scott Sellars and Co left it too late and three last-gasp moves fell through to leave Lage and supporters frustrated.

The Renato Sanches deal was the big one. Wolves seemed set to land the coveted Portuguese midfielder on the penultimate day of the window, only to pull the plug over an injury which turned out to be minor. A derisory offer for Kieffer Moore was knocked back by Cardiff City too.

Wolves did manage to agree a £12million fee with Marseille for 22-year-old midfielder Boubacar Kamara. The only issue with the Kamara deal was that the player didn’t want to move to England. He had already turned down the chance to join Newcastle United earlier in the window.

He would have unquestionably improved Wolves’ squad and his ability to play in defence and midfield appealed to Lage. But, all too predictably, Kamara turned down Wolves’ request to leave his hometown and family at the eleventh hour.

The midfielder will feel his decision has been vindicated after an excellent season with Marseille, which could yet see them finish second to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Marseille also reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League.

Kamara has captained Marseille on occasions this season, but he appears set to leave the Stade Velodrome on a free transfer next month. Clubs from around Europe are queueing up to sign Kamara, with Atletico Madrid emerging as clear favourites for his signature.

Mega-rich Aston Villa are also showing interest in Kamara after their