By Joel Lefevre
As we settle into the international break, there are still many questions floating around Liverpool. There is certainly optimism that things have been different under Andoni Iraola, but it remains to be seen whether the team has fully addressed the many flaws we saw last season.
Among their biggest sore spots in 2025-26 was the poor play of the defensive midfield. Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are under contract for the foreseeable future, but bringing in some competition wouldn’t hurt.
Lamine Camara is a hot commodity on the transfer market, and bringing him to Merseyside could have a lot of positives.
Lamine Camara has generated plenty of interest
Big clubs will have their eyes set on the Principality in January. A big name being linked to a move out of Monaco has been Lamine Camara. Liverpool are among four English sides said to be watching the 22-year-old, with Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Chelsea all reportedly interested as well. We saw the botched attempt from Chelsea over the summer, giving Liverpool a second chance at securing the player. Monaco apparently want somewhere in the range of €50m to part ways with him, and he’s under contract with the French side until 2029.
Now, although Liverpool have experience in the midfield spot, we really saw other teams take advantage of that weakness in 2025-26. Some might believe it was simply a tough campaign for Mac Allister and Gravenberch that won’t happen again, but bringing in an option like Camara wouldn’t necessarily suggest that Iraola is giving up on the Argentine or the Dutchman.
Lamine Camara has generated plenty of interest
Tijuana will be sad if Mora leaves, but they cannot deny that he is destined for bigger and better things than Liga MX. Liverpool are among those interested in signing him, as they seem to have a keen eye for bringing in youth to their ranks after depending heavily on veterans for years.
It’s believed that Mora's release clause will be at least €20 million, with Real Madrid, Arsenal, Man City, and Man United all linked to the Mexican star. Unfortunately, we won’t know where in Europe he may move to until October at the earliest as he turns 18 on October 14. He won’t be able to sign a contract until then, but a pre-contract is still a possibility.
🚨 Gilberto Mora, en el radar del Liverpool 🇲🇽#LFC habría iniciado contactos con el entorno del joven talento mexicano y estudia la posibilidad de alcanzar un preacuerdo con Club Tijuana.
— 🔴 Esto Es Anfield #Liverpool (@estoesanfield_) July 7, 2026
💰 Cláusula estimada: 20M€
📄 El jugador no podrá fichar hasta cumplir 18 años en… pic.twitter.com/vHFniZLn2Y
His poise and maturity suggests that he won’t be afraid of playing in a bigger market than Tijuana, where more scrutiny could be coming his way. He is lean, compact, and has shown tremendous poise in high-pressure situations.
Having a player of his abilities in the Liverpool fold would seem to be exactly what Andoni Iraola is building at Anfield.
Lamine Camara would add a different element to the Liverpool midfield
When you look at his overall technical ability, it’s easy to see why the sharks of Europe are swimming around to try and catch him. He’s a high-intensity player with an elite ball-winning profile, and is elite when it comes to tracking back.
Liverpool have been defensively solid this season, yet the attack still seems to be holding back. Players like Wirtz have not been utilised to their full potential, as they’ve needed to track back and cover defensive positions that the midfield are letting slip by. While Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, and Gravenberch all have their strengths, none of them have the same defensive profile as Camara. Camara leans into the traditional 6 role, while Macca and Gravenberch play as box-to-box, or Dominik, who is a versatile CAM. Gravenberch has displayed his skills 2 seasons ago as a pure CDM, but while he is a ball-carrying, interception-style midfielder, Camara is a line-breaking passer, who is a high-intensity, front-footed presser, an aggressive enforcer.
That last attribute is one we rarely saw Mac Allister do well with last season, while Camara brings a lot to the table that is different from him and Gravenberch. The Senegalese international can also produce some great set-piece deliveries, is among the best when it comes to tackles in Europe, while also boasting a sixth sense to anticipate often exactly where a ball is going. Plus, he’s only 22, so he fits perfectly with the direction the club is going.
Signing him wouldn’t necessarily mean the club must get rid of Mac Allister or Gravenberch, especially considering the form that Mac Allister has had so far this season. Having Camara could create some healthy competition and force them all to step up their game, while also providing some much-needed depth.
Camara has the pace and energy to be a real asset. While he featured in nearly every Ligue 1 match last season, he doesn’t always play a full 90 and can be an energy guy off the bench. Having Camara as an option would give Iraola a nice luxury and a different midfielder he could utilise depending on the opponent.
While some might see a £50m price tag as a little high, it’s not nearly the kind of amount the club has spent in the past or anywhere close to recent transfers, such as Bradley Barcola, Jérémy Jacquet, Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike. Camara brings far more valuable attributes to the table than Liverpool needs right now, and the club would be wise to cash in on his skills in the January transfer window, before his price tag goes any higher.
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