As Liverpool look for a new midfield lynchpin this summer, there may be nobody better than Monaco’s Lamine Camara.
The Reds are reportedly on the lookout for someone to beef up their midfield options this summer, and though links continue to Adam Wharton, Camara has now emerged as an alternative option.
The 22-year-old has had a stellar season with Monaco, and Liverpool will no doubt have been watching on with great interest as he turned in a brilliant performance to help his team walk away from the Parc des Princes with a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in March.
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Lamine Camara did ‘everything’ against PSG
Liverpool know exactly how hard it is to contain PSG and all of their attacking and midfield talents.
But when Camara came up against Luis Enrique’s all-stars in early March, he bossed them, with Monaco’s official website calling it a ‘do-everything performance’ from the Senegal international.
After making 13 recoveries and winning 10 out of 14 duels, Camara set about dominating the PSG midfield of Vitinha, Warren Zaire-Emery and Dro Fernandez.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue were also kept quiet with his help, and although rumoured Liverpool target Bradley Barcola did score, Camara’s dominance made the goal redundant.
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The former Metz man did not only make a difference going back towards his own goal, either, he is said to have been close to scoring a goal of the season contender, making a ’70 metre run’ which led to a shot being saved ‘with great difficulty’ by Matvey Safonov. Monaco scored from the resulting corner, which Camara himself took.
The Senegalese was ‘overwhelmingly’ voted as the player of the match by Monaco supporters, and showed Liverpool’s beleaguered trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai how it should be done when coming up against the reigning European champions.
Camara is the kind of midfielder Liverpool need
When Arne Slot and Richard Hughes sit down to address what Liverpool need to improve their team ahead of next season, conversation will surely turn to bringing in a midfielder in Camara’s mould.
Comfortable driving with the ball, breaking up play and pinging long-distance passes, he is something akin to a more defensive-minded Naby Keita.
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Liverpool have had real trouble progressing the ball up the pitch this season, and it is imperative they find a player who can help with that this summer. Camara can be that man.
Another glaring problem has been the ease with which opposition teams have been able to play through Liverpool. Having a more natural number six like Camara should put a stop to that, while also freeing up Gravenberch to do more of what makes him such a special player.
As the Reds look to move towards a 4-2-2-2 formation next year, Gravenberch cannot be the deepest-lying midfielder any longer. Signing a Wharton would potentially not solve that issue, but buying Camara – or likewise fellow Ligue 1 target Mamadou Sangare – would make more sense.
Liverpool may not need to beat PSG to achieve their goals next season, but having been bettered by the Parisians in each of the last two campaigns, having players with the quality to dominate such an opponent will begin to sort out some of their most debilitating concerns.
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