Report: Liverpool and Chelsea told to pay €70m for Ligue 1 star
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Liverpool Midfield Targets: Why Lamine Camara Heads a Four-Man Shortlist for Andoni Iraola
Liverpool’s summer told its own story. They spent heavily in attack, reinforced the back line, and still left the midfield looking slightly unfinished. That is the key point in TEAMTALK’s latest report, and it makes sense when you strip away the noise.
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Andoni Iraola wants intensity, recovery runs, pressing discipline and players who can cover ground without losing structure. Liverpool did not fully address that in the last window, especially after Curtis Jones departed for Inter Milan. Whatever one thinks of Jones, he was another body in an area of the pitch where Liverpool now look light if the schedule bites.
So the club are doing what serious clubs do. They are surveying the market early and keeping multiple options alive. According to the report, four names are in the frame, Lamine Camara, Manu Kone, Alex Scott and Aleksandar Stankovic. Different profiles, different price points, different levels of readiness, but the same underlying objective, add ballast and mobility to the middle of the pitch.
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Lamine Camara stands out in Liverpool plans
Camara is the name that jumps off the page. He is 22, highly rated, and clearly viewed as a Premier League-calibre midfielder. The detail that matters here is not just Liverpool’s interest, but Monaco’s stance. TEAMTALK reports that Monaco now value him at €70m, which converts to around £60m, and that they want to keep him for the time being.
That is straightforward. Chelsea had a second bid worth £47m accepted before Monaco changed course, and now the French side believe there is more value in waiting. Clubs do this all the time. If the player keeps performing and the market remains active, the number rises. Liverpool will know that. They will also know that January is usually a bad month to buy from a position of need.
There is also this from Ben Jacobs on The RedmenTV: “Liverpool were making calls to the camp of Camara, making it clear that if he stayed [and didn’t join Chelsea], he would be a player relatively high in their thinking for 2027.
“He’s not the only one. You’ve got Manu Kone, who Chelsea had looked at as well. And Alex Scott, I think he will be on Liverpool’s radar too.”
That tells you Liverpool have done groundwork, but it also suggests patience. If Camara was framed as a 2027 possibility, then any January move would require circumstances to change sharply. It can happen, particularly if the player pushes and Monaco soften, though right now it looks more like positioning than a deal on the brink.
Manu Kone, Alex Scott and Stankovic give Liverpool options
Manu Kone is a more obvious fit for a physically demanding system. He brings power, carries the ball well and can cope in transition. Interest in him has now been referenced more than once, and that usually means there is something concrete in the scouting chain. David Ornstein said: “Liverpool would have had to look at options, even though they were only going to sign a midfielder, despite Curtis Jones leaving, if a further departure occurred.
“Camara was one option. I think there’s interest in Kone of Roma, and they’ll have other options as well.”
Alex Scott is a different case. Technically secure, energetic, homegrown, and with room to grow. He is a smart link to make, especially for a club that values adaptable midfielders. Whether he gives Iraola the immediate steel referenced in the report is another question, though his all-round game is attractive.
Stankovic feels more speculative in this context. The earlier talks with Inter, tied into the Jones discussions, suggest Liverpool explored the angle and moved on. That is normal. Not every conversation becomes a live pursuit.
January transfer reality may test Liverpool patience
The other thread hanging over all of this is Alexis Mac Allister. The report references frustration over his contract situation, and when that sort of public emotion surfaces, people start connecting dots. That does not automatically mean a transfer is imminent. It does mean Liverpool cannot afford drift in midfield planning.
They may not have intended to revisit the market after Jones left unless another midfielder also went, but plans change. Managers need tools. Iraola’s teams rely on repeat intensity, second balls and quick regains. If Liverpool think they are a midfielder short, they should act like it.
Camara looks expensive. Kone may be the cleaner football fit for immediate needs. Scott is appealing for broader squad building. Stankovic appears lower down the list. The sensible reading is that Liverpool are active, informed and unconvinced by standing still.
That is as it should be. If the midfield is missing a piece, waiting for the problem to become obvious in the table is usually the most expensive way to solve it.
Our View
From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this report is encouraging because it shows the club are not sleepwalking through a known issue. Anyone watching this side can see the midfield still needs a bit more bite and control if Iraola is going to get the best from his pressing game. There is talent there, no doubt, and Trey Nyoni’s pathway is exciting, but relying on potential alone across a long season is asking for trouble.
Camara sounds like the glamour option and it is easy to understand why fans would be drawn to him. He is young, upwardly mobile and seemingly keen on the Premier League. The problem is the price. £60m in January is serious money, and Liverpool have to be certain he is the right fit, not simply the most fashionable name available.
Kone may actually be the more practical move if the aim is to help immediately. Scott would also be popular because he fits the age profile and gives the squad flexibility. What matters most is that Liverpool do not overcomplicate this. They sold Jones, they know the system demands energy, and they know injuries and form dips are inevitable. Solve the issue before it costs points.
If the recruitment team genuinely believe one of these four can raise the floor and ceiling of the midfield, then be decisive. The best Liverpool sides have always been proactive, not reactive.
Source: TEAMTALK