Kara Mbodji – Scout Report
“Huddersfield Town and Crystal Palace are fighting for the same player for their Premier League squad” – that is something I didn’t think I’d be writing!
The player in question this time is Senegalese centre-back Kara Mbodji of Anderlecht, who has urged Premier League clubs to end his “racist hell” with Anderlecht, where he says his own fans are guilty of calling him a monkey. Leicester City had two bids for the player turned down back in January when Claudio Ranieri was in charge and they could be back for him too.
Mbodji is rated at around £10million and was excellent in Anderlecht’s games against Manchester United this season and would definitely add something to a Premier League side. Let’s take a closer look at Mbodji.
History
Born in Ndiass in Senegal, Mdoji joined the academy at Diambars in Dakar when he was 15-years old. After two years with the academy, and having made a name for himself with the scouts, he joined Norwegian club Tromso where he stayed for three seasons.
Having twice been named as the second-best player in the league, Kara moved to Belgian side Genk in 2013. Genk decided to cash-in on their improving defender and in 2015, Mbodji joined Anderlecht.
Two good years have followed, with Mbodji having made 61 league appearances. He now wants out of the country due to racial abuse.
Style Of Play
At over 6 feet 3 inches tall, Mbodji takes no nonsense from strikers and tends to dominate them. Blocking is a specialty of his, with a willingness from the defender to put his body on the line when facing a shot-happy strike force.
Given his height, it is no surprise that Kara is considered dangerous at the other end from set-pieces – his record of 19 league goals in 223 matches back this up.
His Future
Now 27-years-old, Mbodji is reaching his peak as a defender and needs a transfer to one of the major European leagues in order to maximise his potential.
For his part, Kara probably feels he could play in the Champions League but with no suitors coming forward, he has to settle for Premier League in order to ensure he remains as part of the Senegal squad for the upcoming World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.