Who is new Lyon signing Noham Kamara?

Last week, Olympique Lyonnais made Noham Kamara's loan move from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. Who is OL's newest prodigy?

A rapid rise at PSG

Everything has moved very quickly for Kamara. He only arrived at PSG from Torcy in the summer of 2024. In March 2025, he signed a youth contract with the reigning European champions and it was in that same month that he was part of the first-team set-up. The centre-back had caught the eye of Luis Enrique during a U19 game against Lens and he was subsequently quickly fast-tracked. His development had been stunted by an injury back in 2024, but he was making up for lost time.

However, his main experience was accrued with Les Parisiens' youth team. Despite his inclusion in matchday squads, he would make just three appearances for the first team. Both of his appearances in Ligue 1 McDonald's for PSG would come towards the end of the 2024/25 season, long after the title had been wrapped up (v Strasbourg on 03/05/25 & v Montpellier on 10/05/25).

He would not feature at the start of the 2025/26 season, partially due to his participation in the U20 World Cup. He was a regular as France reached the semi-finals before an eventual defeat to Morocco. He would start five of Les Bleuets' seven games in South America before returning to PSG.

🦁Noham Kamara définitivement lyonnais jusqu'en 2030

📝https://t.co/qDLlKreSM5 pic.twitter.com/ZljWHWBJxZ
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) June 10, 2026

But his appearances had already caught the attention of other Ligue 1 McDonald's clubs, notably Lyon, who made their move in January. The 19-year-old joined OL during the winter window on a loan deal. He would make just two substitute appearances for Les Gones, including one against his now-former club, PSG, on 19th April.

However, he is viewed as a player for the future and, subsequently, his move to the Groupama Stadium has been made permanent for a reported fee of €4m. The defender has signed a contract that runs until 2030.

"With the project that was outlined to me, I hope to be part of it for a long time! I hope to win trophies with the club, since it has been a while since the club has won one," said Kamara back in February.

Kamara described as 'Luis Enrique-compatible'

And his move down south to Lyon was inspired, he revealed, by a former Gone. "I even spoke about [the move] with a certain PSG player who came through at Lyon: Bradley Barcola. We spoke a lot. He said that OL would really help me develop. Bradley spoke to me about the city but especially about the sporting environment within the club," he said.

Kamara is a defender who, when coming through at PSG, was described as "Luis Enrique-compatible", and when you hear him describe his own play-style, you see why.

"I try to be intelligent in terms of reading the game, anticipating my actions and my movements. Also when it comes to leadership, I like to communicate well on the pitch because I play in a position where I can see the whole pitch [...] it is important to be comfortable with both feet. Even if I'm more right-footed, I try to play with both," he said.

Heading into next season, we'll likely see more of Kamara, now definitively a Lyon player.

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