Liverpool make contact over the Monaco midfielder Chelsea almost signed for £47m on deadline day, but January looks complicated

Liverpool have made contact over Lamine Camara, the Monaco midfielder who came within hours of joining Chelsea in the summer.

According to The Sun, the Reds have contacted the representatives of the Senegal international and asked to be kept up to date on his situation at Monaco.

The 22-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar for a while. He was named on their January midfield shortlist earlier this week, and this is the clearest sign yet that the interest is real.

Why did Lamine Camara’s Chelsea move collapse?

Monaco were set to sell him to Chelsea for £47m on the final day of the summer window, then pulled out at the 11th hour. Their change of heart came when Folarin Balogun appeared close to a move to Everton.

Balogun then backed out of that switch, but by that point it was too late in the day for Chelsea to revive the Camara deal. He stayed put under Felipe Luis.

Are Liverpool now in front for Lamine Camara?

It looks that way among Premier League clubs. Chelsea’s attention has reportedly moved to Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, which clears the path for Liverpool and takes away the most obvious rival.

The midfield is clearly a live subject at Anfield too, with Alexis Mac Allister’s future under the spotlight and a big spend on that area of the pitch being talked about.

Why a January Lamine Camara transfer is difficult

Camara has started all 12 of Monaco’s competitive games this season and is under contract until 2029, so there is no pressure on them to sell.

Keeping him beyond January could be crucial to their hopes of going far in the Conference League and challenging for Champions League qualification in Ligue 1. The feeling is that the two clubs and the player would all have to make compromises for a winter deal to happen.

That is a lot of moving parts for a mid-season transfer, and it points to next summer as the far more realistic window.

Verdict: Camara looks a summer job for Liverpool

Making contact now is the smart bit. Liverpool lose nothing by getting in early, and being first in the queue with Chelsea looking elsewhere could count for a lot when the summer comes round. We would not expect him at Anfield in January, though. Monaco have already shown they will walk away from £47m when the timing does not suit them, and there is no reason to think they have changed their minds with a European run to chase.