Liverpool well placed to sign ‘top choice’ midfielder in January – multiple reports | OneFootball

Liverpool are reportedly well positioned to sign their ‘top choice’ midfielder in January, though they’ll have to pay a premium, according to multiple reports.

Liverpool are yet to lose a game this season, though of the five matches across all competitions they’ve played, they’ve won just twice.

The problem position of right-back is no longer a talking point following the superb showings of Ronald Araujo over the past two Premier League matches.

Instead, it’s central midfield where Liverpool continue to struggle, with Andoni Iraola seemingly unsure of his best combination.

Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are the three protagonists, though none are holding midfielders.

The only out-and-out holding midfielder on Liverpool’s books right now is Wataru Endo, and he’s a long way down the pecking order.

Fans and pundits alike cried out for the arrival of a defensive midfielder in the summer. A signing wasn’t made, though soon after the window closed, David Ornstein confirmed Liverpool have their eye on Monaco’s Lamine Camara who is their “top choice” as far as central midfield targets go.

Ornstein explained earlier this month: “There was a period of rumours, maybe a slight possibility, that Alexis Mac Allister might leave.

“He was linked with Manchester City, and, I think, earlier in the window with others as well.

“Curtis Jones left, too, so I understand your point on the holding midfield position.

“Information reached us around deadline day that if Mac Allister had left, their top choice would have been Lamine Camara from Monaco.

“So maybe we have to watch this space in the future to see what happens around that.”

Camara was the subject of a collapsed move to Chelsea in the final hours of the summer window. When Monaco pulled the plug at the eleventh hour, Chelsea were left furious.

Fabrizio Romano has since suggested relations between the clubs will take time to heal, and there’ll be no revived move to Stamford Bridge in January.

And according to the latest from Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea’s refusal to go back in for Camara means Liverpool are now frontrunners to sign the 22-year-old Senegal international.

Liverpool favourites to sign Lamine Camara for £60m in January

The downside for the Reds is that given this would be a mid-season sale, Monaco are reportedly hiking the price up from the £47m they agreed with Chelsea to around £60m.

After declaring Liverpool are ‘well placed’ to sign Camara in January, O’Rourke went on to add: Chelsea will not be willing to pay Monaco’s new £60million asking price for midfielder Lamine Camara in January.

‘The Blues saw a late £47m move for the 22-year-old collapse in the final hours of the summer window, and they are not prepared to up their offering at all this winter.

‘Monaco’s decision to pull the plug on the Senegal international’s move to Stamford Bridge has opened the door for a whole host of admirers to move in.

‘Sources say that Liverpool are among the clubs that remain hugely keen on Camara, and could potentially make a move for him this winter.

‘The Reds are long-term admirers of the Monaco youngster, but did not feel that the timing was right for them to launch a move for him in the summer.’