Liverpool Eye January Transfers for Lamine Camara and Tyrick Mitchell
Liverpool are weighing up a January move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, with Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell also emerging as a serious option on their radar, according to fresh reports.
Camara back in Premier League sights
Camara’s name is refusing to go away. The Monaco midfielder was on the brink of joining Chelsea on deadline day, only for the Ligue 1 club to pull the plug in the final hours and leave the deal in ruins.
The 22-year-old had held lengthy talks with Chelsea over his role and future at Stamford Bridge and, by all accounts, had given the London club the green light. The package on the table was worth around €55m (£47m, $63m) before Monaco’s late U-turn.
Chelsea’s interest has not cooled, but they now look set to have company.
Liverpool are understood to be exploring a move of their own and, crucially, any club returning to the table in January has been warned to expect a higher price. Monaco are now thought to want closer to €70m (£60m, $81m) for one of their key assets.
Football Insider report that Liverpool have already “held talks” over a potential deal, with transfer expert Mick Brown claiming Camara has been a live topic at Anfield.
“Lamine Camara is a name that has been discussed behind the scenes,” Brown told Football Insider. “Liverpool will be keeping an eye on how he gets on for Monaco, but there is definitely a deal to be done as we saw when he nearly joined Chelsea.
“His agent has been very outspoken about trying to get him a move, so I expect Liverpool will have held talks with him about the possibility of signing him in January.”
If Monaco stick to their new valuation, any January move becomes a test of how badly Liverpool want another high-end midfield addition in the middle of the season – and how far they are willing to push a squad that has already undergone heavy renovation.
Mitchell in the frame as left-back questions grow
The Merseyside club’s recruitment plans do not stop in midfield.
Andoni Iraola is also believed to be targeting a reinforcement at left-back, with current options Milos Kerkez and Kostas Tsimikas both under scrutiny for different reasons.
Kerkez has struggled to find rhythm and consistency since stepping into the role, while Tsimikas is heading into the final months of his contract and remains on the fringes of the starting XI. That combination has opened the door for external solutions.
One of those, according to another update from Brown for Football Insider, is Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell – a player already linked with Manchester United.
“Man United aren’t going to be the only club interested in signing Mitchell,” Brown said. “For any club looking for a left-back in the Premier League, there are not many options who come up with such consistent performances as Mitchell has for Crystal Palace.
“He impresses every single week, gets on with his job, he’s terrific defensively and he’s improved the attacking side of his game as well, he’s a top, top player.
“So when you look at those top clubs, you’ve got Liverpool where Milos Kerkez has been questioned a bit and maybe isn’t as consistent as they’d like him to be.
“Then you’ve got Chelsea, who are always going to be interested in this type of deal where they can bring a quality player in without having to spend big.
“Either of those clubs could make a move for Mitchell, because as I say, he will tick a number of boxes for them and could be a very good addition.”
If Liverpool do decide to press ahead, they could find themselves locked into two separate transfer battles – one with Chelsea over Camara and another with both Chelsea and Manchester United over Mitchell.
January rarely offers calm waters. Liverpool now have to decide whether this is the window to strike hard in two key positions, or whether those fights are better saved for the summer.
