Liverpool's Late Call on Lamine Camara Keeps Midfield Hopes Alive

Liverpool walked away from the summer window without the defensive midfielder they’ve been crying out for. Deadline Day, though, may yet have handed them a route back into the market – and straight towards Lamine Camara.

Chelsea thought they had him. A deal with Monaco was agreed, the move was primed, and then it all fell apart in the final hours. Out of that chaos, Liverpool quietly stepped in.

Liverpool Move in the Shadows

Speaking on talkSPORT, GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs revealed that Liverpool’s hierarchy picked up the phone late on Deadline Day – more than once – to Camara’s camp and to Monaco.

“Liverpool Football Club made a call this evening, and more than one, to say to the camp of Lamine Camara to wait, to say to Monaco to wait, because Liverpool don’t want Camara now, they never explored it," Jacobs said.

He added that Alexis Mac Allister remains at the club, but Liverpool’s message was clear: wait. No hijack, no last-minute bid to snatch him from Chelsea. Just a warning shot about the future.

"Alexis Mac Allister is still at the club, but my understanding is that Liverpool said to Monaco wait, Liverpool said to Camara wait. Liverpool didn’t interfere in the deal relating to Chelsea.

“We are saying all Liverpool did was tell Monaco and Lamine Camara to wait; if you don’t get your move… we will be back potentially in 2027.”

It was subtle, but decisive. Chelsea were left furious as the deal collapsed. Liverpool, meanwhile, positioned themselves for the long game.

A Summer of Departures and One Big Arrival

All this comes after a window that left Liverpool’s squad looking both expensive and exposed.

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté all walked away on free transfers, ripping out three pillars of the dressing room in one go. Curtis Jones left for Inter Milan. Harvey Elliott headed to Valencia. Experience, versatility, homegrown depth – gone.

Bradley Barcola arrived as the statement signing, a £123m capture from Paris Saint-Germain. Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo also came in to reinforce Andoni Iraola’s new-look side.

Yet the glaring issue remained untouched. No specialist defensive midfielder. Again.

Since Fabinho’s move to Saudi Arabia in 2023, Liverpool have been repeatedly linked with top names in that role – Moises Caicedo, Martin Zubimendi and others – but every rumour has fizzled out. When the window shut this time, Iraola was left with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Trey Nyoni and Wataru Endo as his senior midfield options.

Plenty of talent. Not enough balance.

Iraola’s System, Liverpool’s Problem

You can already see the tension between Iraola’s ideas and the tools at his disposal.

Liverpool’s high-energy, front-foot style under the Spaniard demands a midfielder who can screen, destroy and reset. Instead, the early weeks have exposed a soft centre. They’ve been held to 2-2 draws by both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and the midfield structure has come under fire.

Jamie Carragher has not been shy in criticising the setup. The team looks stretched. Lines are too open. The back line is often left staring at waves of runners with little protection in front.

This is where Camara changes the conversation.

Camara: The Piece That’s Missing

Monaco boss Filipe Luis did not bother to play down his admiration for the Senegal international when asked earlier in the summer. His praise was blunt and emphatic.

“We are probably talking about one of the best midfielders in the world,” he said.

“I don't want to talk about him too much, because I know a lot of clubs would love to have him in their squad, and he is very important to me. He has that quality on the ball, covers a lot of ground, he is truly top class! I am really happy to have him, and he is going to play a key role in the team.”

Those are not the words of a coach willing to lose a player. They are the words of someone who knows exactly what he has – and what others want.

For Liverpool, that profile is exactly what Iraola’s system is crying out for: defensive discipline, huge coverage of space, comfort on the ball. A midfielder who can sit, read danger, and still contribute to the build-up. The kind of anchor that allows Szoboszlai and Gravenberch to attack with freedom, and relieves Mac Allister from having to do a job that doesn’t fully suit him.

If Iraola is to avoid unnecessary pressure in his first season, that kind of signing doesn’t just help. It transforms.

Chelsea’s Anger, Liverpool’s Opening

Chelsea’s frustration at missing out on Camara on Deadline Day is understandable. They thought the deal was done. Instead, they’re back to square one, staring at a midfield plan that needs revisiting.

Liverpool, by contrast, have turned a passive window in that position into a future opportunity. No bid, no announcement, no fireworks – just a message delivered at the right time: if the move doesn’t happen now, we’ll be there down the line.

The door is open. The question is whether Liverpool are finally ready to walk through it and fix the one issue that has been haunting them since Fabinho left.