Liverpool are interested in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, with reports of the club's pursuit described as "credible" by The Athletic's David Ornstein. The 22-year-old Senegalese would only have been signed in the summer if a further midfield departure occurred, with Ornstein revealing that interest in Camara was "related to Alexis Mac Allister departing."
Despite links to Camara, Roma's Manu Kone and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, no midfield signing materialised in the summer transfer window, even after Curtis Jones left for Inter Milan in a £30m deal. Camara's own deadline day move to Chelsea collapsed amid the chaos of Everton's Folarin Balogun deal falling through.
Why Liverpool Need a New Midfielder
Liverpool's midfield has looked porous this season under new head coach Andoni Iraola. While Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch all offer plenty on the ball, none of the three prefer to stay deeper and dictate play. Mac Allister is the closest match in this respect but lacks the defensive solidity of most natural deep-lying midfielders.
Wataru Endo remains in the squad but is yet to feature this season, with Iraola admitting after the 0-0 draw with Fulham that "in front of him in his position I have a lot of players." Szoboszlai has been dribbled past just 0.50 times per 90 this season (76th percentile) precisely because he hasn't been in the right positions to make tackles (1.00, 17th percentile).
How Camara Compares to Kone and Current Options
Kone, another option mentioned by Ornstein as a "potential future option," is a very mobile player similar to Gravenberch in terms of carrying the ball (1.06 successful dribbles per 90 last season, 85th percentile in Serie A). However, he wins a lower proportion of his duels (50.9%, 57th percentile) than the Dutchman (56.3%, 75th percentile in the Premier League) while making fewer interceptions (0.66, 40th percentile) and being dribbled past more often (1.02, 22nd percentile) than any of Liverpool's current options.
Camara, by contrast, is a completely different type of midfielder. He attempted 2.67 tackles per 90 in Ligue 1 last season (80th percentile), more than any of Liverpool's current three options bar Mac Allister this season. He makes more interceptions per 90 (1.80, 92nd percentile), more recoveries (7.68, 92nd percentile) and wins possession in the final third (1.02, 95th percentile) more often than either Kone or any of Liverpool's current options.
Camara also wins more duels (6.56, 91st percentile) at a respectable rate (56.0%, 78th percentile), and creates chances more regularly (1.70 per 90, 89th percentile) than any of Liverpool's regular midfielders bar Szoboszlai, including 0.39 big chances per 90 (90th percentile). His 85.9% pass completion rate (52nd percentile) is lower than any of Liverpool's midfielders, but this reflects his willingness to try risky passes.
Potential Concerns and Fit
Camara's one main weakness is his aerial ability, winning just 40.0% of his aerial duels last season (31st percentile), but this is more than made up for by his ability to cover distances and make defensive interventions on the ground. Despite clocking 30.8km/h top speed in the Champions League last season, he is actually significantly quicker, maxing out at 32.3km/h the season prior.
His 0.29 yellow cards per 90 (22nd percentile) could see him become a suspension risk, while his craftiness in winning fouls (2.33 per 90, 93rd percentile) can sometimes lead to him being dispossessed when the decision doesn't go his way (1.07, 35th percentile).
In the short term, Camara would surely be a more suitable partner for Mac Allister than Szoboszlai currently is, while in the longer term, he could bring the best out of the Hungarian or Gravenberch - his defensive coverage allowing his partner to express themselves more freely. All told, the links between Liverpool and Camara are extremely exciting, and he could just be Iraola's perfect midfielder - but the Reds' decision-makers might regret not striking in the summer before his price tag inevitably skyrockets.
