Liverpool supporters spent much of the summer wondering why the club didn’t bring in another midfielder after Curtis Jones left for Inter Milan.
Now we may finally have an answer.
According to Ben Jacobs, Liverpool never actually intended to add another midfielder following Jones’ departure.
And that makes the situation surrounding Lamine Camara particularly interesting.
Because while Liverpool didn’t want Camara this summer, they apparently could have moved for him if Alexis Mac Allister had left the club.
Liverpool didn’t see Jones as someone they had to replace
This is probably the biggest takeaway from Jacobs’ update.
Liverpool didn’t look at their squad and think:
“Curtis Jones has left, so we need to sign another midfielder.”
Instead, the club apparently believed they already had enough options.
Mac Allister.
Dominik Szoboszlai.
Ryan Gravenberch.
And the other midfield options available to Andoni Iraola.
From Liverpool’s perspective, losing Jones didn’t automatically create a hole that needed filling.
Whether supporters agree with that decision is another matter entirely.
Personally, I’m still not completely convinced.
I would have liked another midfielder
This is where my opinion differs from the club’s apparent thinking.
I understand why Liverpool didn’t panic.
They didn’t want to sign a player simply for the sake of replacing Jones.
But I still believe there was an opportunity to improve the midfield.
Liverpool have plenty of technical quality.
What I questioned was the balance.
They don’t really have an obvious specialist defensive midfielder who can sit in front of the defence and provide that extra protection when games become chaotic.
Iraola may not want a traditional No.6.
His system relies on collective defending and pressing.
But over a long season, having another midfielder with different qualities can be invaluable.
And then there’s Lamine Camara
This is where things become really interesting.
Jacobs says Liverpool’s only route to making a summer bid for Camara would have been if Mac Allister had departed.
That tells us something important about how Liverpool viewed the Monaco midfielder.
They clearly liked him.
But they didn’t see him as someone they needed to sign immediately.
And that potentially explains why Liverpool didn’t move when Chelsea were pushing hard to bring Camara to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea reportedly had a £47 million agreement in place before Monaco pulled the plug on the transfer on deadline day.
Liverpool, meanwhile, appear to have been thinking longer term.
Camara could still be a Liverpool player
This is the part I would be watching very closely.
Jacobs says Camara still dreams of moving to the Premier League, while a January departure has not been ruled out.
Liverpool have already been linked with the Senegal international, and reports after deadline day suggested the Reds had effectively told Camara and Monaco to wait, with a potential move in 2027 still possible.
So this story isn’t finished.
Not even close.
Camara may have missed out on Chelsea.
But that doesn’t mean his Premier League dream has disappeared.
And Liverpool could eventually become the club that makes it happen.
January could change everything
The big question is whether Liverpool decide that their midfield needs strengthening once the season develops.
That’s something we simply don’t know yet.
Maybe Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Gravenberch stay fit and perform brilliantly.
Maybe Liverpool’s midfield looks completely comfortable.
Or perhaps the demands of the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups expose the lack of another option.
If that happens, Liverpool could revisit Camara.
And there is already evidence that they admire him.
David Ornstein has separately indicated that Camara would have been Liverpool’s preferred midfield target if Mac Allister had left, which adds further weight to the idea that the Monaco midfielder remains one to watch.
Maybe Liverpool are waiting to see what happens
There is another way of looking at this.
Liverpool might simply believe that January is the right time.
Why spend £40m, £50m or potentially more on a midfielder when you’re not convinced you need him?
Wait.
Assess the squad.
See how Iraola’s midfield develops.
Then make a decision.
That could actually be sensible squad management.
The danger, of course, is that Camara’s price could increase.
He’s only 22 and is already attracting serious Premier League interest.
If he continues performing for Monaco and Senegal, there could be even more competition for his signature.
I still think Liverpool need more midfield protection
For me, this is the bigger issue.
I don’t necessarily think Liverpool made a mistake by not signing Camara.
I think the bigger question is whether they were right to decide that another midfielder wasn’t necessary at all.
Those are two completely different arguments.
Camara might not have been required in August.
But Liverpool may discover in October or November that the midfield needs another dimension.
That’s when the decision becomes much more interesting.
Don’t be surprised if we hear this name again
Liverpool didn’t sign Lamine Camara this summer.
That much is clear.
But it doesn’t mean the club have moved on from him.
The reports suggest Liverpool were prepared to wait rather than force a deal, while Camara remains keen on eventually making the move to England.
And if Liverpool suddenly decide they need another midfielder, Camara could be the obvious player to revisit.
Especially if Mac Allister’s situation changes.
The door is still open
Maybe Liverpool were right.
Maybe they have enough midfielders.
Maybe Jones’ departure won’t hurt the squad at all.
But if Iraola finds himself wanting another player who can add energy, defensive aggression and quality in midfield, Liverpool already appear to know who they want.
Lamine Camara.
The summer move didn’t happen.
But January hasn’t been ruled out.
And with Camara still dreaming of the Premier League, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if this Liverpool story comes back around.
Perhaps Liverpool aren’t finished with Lamine Camara just yet.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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