The summer transfer window came and went in rather sluggish fashion for Liverpool.
While the Reds did sign Bradley Barcola to the tune of a whopping £123m, it was a relatively uneventful market compared to a year ago.
In 2025, Arne Slot saw the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all join. This time around, joining Barcola were Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo.
Somehow, the midfield and full-back areas went untouched. Fortunately, they are looking to correct that heading into the winter window.
Lamine Camara is one name on their list, but there may well be a better option for Julian Ward.
Why Liverpool want to sign Lamine Camara
The Camara saga on transfer deadline day was a desperately unfortunate one as far as the player is concerned.
It all revolved around Liverpool’s neighbours, Everton. Monaco needed to sell and looked as though they had agreed a deal with striker Folarin Balogun.
Yet, in the final hours, they pulled the plug on a deal, citing an injury they found during the medical. As a result, Monaco offered Camara to Chelsea and they swiftly agreed a deal.
But hang on, Everton still wanted Balogun. They went back in for the player, causing the Camara move to fall through. Once the window closed, remarkably neither player had left the principality.
That could be to Liverpool’s gain. A box-to-box midfielder, Camara can play as an eight or as a six and looks tailor-made for the rigours of the Premier League.
He’s something of a tackle monster. This season, the Senegalese sensation has made 5.2 tackles per match for Monaco in Ligue 1. To put that number into context, only three players have more tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League this term.
Camara is a real machine in the middle of the park, registering 9.2 ball recoveries per 90 for Monaco. No player in the squad has managed more.
Aged just 22, he would appear to be one of the best up-and-coming midfielders in Europe right now.
How Liverpool can upgrade on Lamine Camara
The question for Liverpool right now is whether they want a player still in his formative years like Camara or do they want the complete package?
The recruitment team have been sporadic in that regard in recent years. Isak is the finished article, but Wirtz, for instance, certainly isn’t.
As a result, with players like Wirtz and Barcola in their ranks, perhaps an older head is what they require to lay the foundations behind them.
Well, how about Aurelien Tchouameni? It isn’t a transfer window if the Frenchman isn’t linked with a move to Anfield and over the summer, he was the subject of interest from Iraola’s side again.
Well, as we approach the end of the year and 2027, he’s still on their radar. Reports in September suggest that key officials at Liverpool have already held talks with the player’s camp over a move.
So, what makes Tchouameni a better option than Camara?
Well, in simple terms, he’s “the best defensive midfielder in the world” in the eyes of former teammate Chema Andres. Why is that the case? This is someone who has been the rock in Madrid’s midfield for a number of years now.
With just 1.5 tackles per 90, he’s not as aggressive as Camara this season but then in a ball-dominant Madrid side he has very limited defending to do.
That said, when called upon, he is one of the best duel winners around. Here’s what the data tells us.
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Tchouameni vs Camara: 25/26 league stats |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Tchouameni |
Camara |
|
Defensive ground duels won |
2.28 |
2.19 |
|
% of ground duels won |
40% |
36% |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.47 |
0.78 |
|
Tackles & interceptions |
4.37 |
3.59 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5.93 |
7.72 |
|
Blocked shots |
0.56 |
0.33 |
|
Expected threat prevented |
0.52 |
0.33 |
Indeed, when comparing the two players from 2025/26, we begin to understand why Tchouameni is one of the best midfielders on the planet.
He ranks among the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90 minutes, while he also ranks among the finest 4% of positionally similar players for tackles and interceptions.
In short, this is the type of player Liverpool have been missing since Fabinho.
They have tried and arguably failed to replace him since he left. Ryan Gravenberch’s form has fallen off while Alexis Mac Allister has been mightily inconsistent in recent years.
Tchouameni, therefore, ticks every box as Iraola hunts for a new defensive midfielder. Where Liverpool are at right now dictates that they should prefer the Madrid star over Camara.