Suddenly, the Lamine Camara story makes a lot more sense.
Liverpool supporters have spent the last few days wondering why the Reds didn’t make a serious move for the Monaco midfielder when an opportunity appeared to be there.
Camara was heavily linked with Chelsea.
The move to Stamford Bridge eventually collapsed.
Liverpool had reportedly been in contact with the player and Monaco, but ultimately decided against making a move this summer.
Now David Ornstein has provided another important piece of the puzzle.
And it could tell us exactly why Liverpool were prepared to wait.
If Mac Allister had left, Camara was Liverpool’s choice
Speaking after Deadline Day, Ornstein revealed that information had reached The Athletic suggesting Lamine Camara would have been Liverpool’s top choice if Alexis Mac Allister had left the club.
That is a huge revelation.
Ornstein said:
“If Alexis Mac Allister had left, their top choice would have been Lamine Camara from Monaco.”
He then suggested that Liverpool supporters may have to “watch this space” regarding Camara in the future.
And suddenly, the decision not to sign him this summer looks very different.
Liverpool didn’t necessarily decide that Camara wasn’t good enough.
Quite the opposite.
It appears they may have decided that they didn’t need him yet.
Liverpool already had their midfield options
Alexis Mac Allister remained at Anfield.
Ryan Gravenberch remained at Anfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai remained at Anfield.
And Liverpool had other midfield options available to Andoni Iraola.
So perhaps the club looked at the situation and decided there was no reason to spend a significant fee on another midfielder when the player they would potentially want to replace was still there.
That’s where Camara becomes particularly interesting.
Because if Mac Allister eventually leaves Liverpool, the situation changes completely.
Suddenly, there is a space.
And Liverpool may already know exactly who they want to fill it.
Camara could be Mac Allister’s successor
This is obviously not confirmation that Mac Allister will leave.
Far from it.
Liverpool still want him at the club and would reportedly like to extend his contract.
But football clubs have to plan ahead.
Mac Allister is now 27.
At some point, Liverpool will have to consider what their midfield looks like beyond him.
And if Ornstein’s information is correct, Lamine Camara could already be part of that succession planning.
That makes the decision to wait much easier to understand.
Liverpool could potentially bring Camara in next summer rather than signing him now.
But there is one big risk
There’s no guarantee Camara will still be available at the same price.
In fact, there is a very good chance he won’t be.
The Senegal international is only 22 and already has significant experience at club and international level.
If he has a brilliant season with Monaco, his value could rise.
Other clubs could become interested.
And suddenly Liverpool could find themselves competing for a player they might have been able to sign for considerably less this summer.
That’s the gamble.
Liverpool have chosen to wait.
Now they have to hope that decision doesn’t come back to haunt them.
Chelsea almost got there first
What’s particularly fascinating is just how close Camara came to joining Chelsea.
The Blues had reached an agreement with Monaco for the midfielder before the deal collapsed dramatically on Deadline Day.
Liverpool didn’t simply swoop in and steal him.
They didn’t need to.
Their plan appears to have been different.
If Mac Allister stayed, there was no need to sign Camara.
If Mac Allister left, Camara could have been the man they turned to.
And that suggests Liverpool had already thought about the scenario.
This could explain Liverpool’s summer midfield decision
I’ve been critical of Liverpool for not signing a midfielder this summer.
And I still believe they could have done with another one.
But this latest information changes the way I look at the situation.
Perhaps Liverpool weren’t ignoring the midfield.
Perhaps they were planning for the future.
There is a huge difference.
If Liverpool believe Camara is the right midfielder for their next stage, they may have decided it was better to wait rather than spend a significant amount of money on a player they didn’t immediately need.
That’s not necessarily bad squad planning.
In fact, it could be very clever.
But Liverpool are taking a gamble
Because the problem with waiting is that football doesn’t stand still.
Camara could become a superstar.
His price could increase.
Another club could offer him more money.
His preference could change.
Monaco could decide they want an enormous fee.
And suddenly Liverpool could be looking at a completely different transfer.
That’s why I would still have liked to see Liverpool make a stronger move this summer.
If they genuinely believe Camara is their man, sometimes you have to strike when the opportunity presents itself.
The player reportedly wants Liverpool
There is another reason for Liverpool supporters to remain interested.
Reports throughout the window suggested that Camara’s preference was Liverpool.
And when Chelsea’s deal collapsed, Liverpool reportedly told the midfielder and Monaco to wait, with the possibility of returning in 2027.
Liverpool.com reported that the club left the door open for a potential future move after deciding against signing him this summer.
Importantly, this wasn’t Liverpool hijacking Chelsea’s deal.
The reporting around the situation indicates Liverpool did not formally interfere with the Chelsea agreement.
Instead, the message was essentially:
Wait.
And now Ornstein’s information gives that message even more significance.
What happens if Mac Allister leaves?
This is the scenario Liverpool supporters should watch.
If Mac Allister remains at Anfield beyond this season, perhaps Camara stays on the radar.
But if Liverpool eventually lose the Argentine…
Lamine Camara could become the obvious candidate.
And if that happens, Liverpool will already have done much of the groundwork.
They know the player.
They know his representatives.
They know Monaco.
They know his preference.
And, according to Ornstein, they already know that he would be their preferred choice.
That’s a pretty good position to be in.
Maybe Liverpool knew exactly what they were doing
This is the part that makes me rethink the whole story.
At first, I looked at Liverpool failing to sign Camara and thought:
Why didn’t we just get the deal done?
Now I’m not so sure.
Maybe Liverpool didn’t want Camara to replace Mac Allister.
Maybe they wanted Camara to eventually replace Mac Allister.
Those are two very different things.
If that’s the thinking, Liverpool have potentially identified their next midfielder before they even need him.
That’s smart recruitment.
But it only works if Liverpool can actually get the deal done when the time comes.
My verdict
David Ornstein’s revelation could be one of the most important pieces of information to emerge from the Lamine Camara saga.
If Alexis Mac Allister had left Liverpool this summer, Camara would reportedly have been the club’s top choice.
That tells us something.
Liverpool clearly rate him.
The player reportedly likes Liverpool.
The club has maintained contact.
And Liverpool have apparently left the door open for a possible move in the future.
So perhaps this isn’t a case of Liverpool missing out on Lamine Camara.
Perhaps it’s a case of Liverpool deciding:
Not yet.
If Mac Allister stays, Liverpool can wait.
If Mac Allister eventually leaves, Camara could become the man they turn to.
And suddenly, the Monaco midfielder who Liverpool didn’t sign this summer could become one of the most important transfer stories at Anfield next year.
Watch this space.
Because I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Lamine Camara.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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