Liverpool will not pursue Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara before the transfer deadline, according to club sources.
The Senegal international, 22, has been linked with a late-window move after impressing at Monaco following his earlier switch from Metz. Crystal Palace’s interest was previously rebuffed, and both Liverpool and Chelsea were later given the opportunity to enter talks. Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso, are now regarded as the clear favourites to complete a deal.
Liverpool’s midfield has been thinned by the departure of Curtis Jones to Inter Milan for £30 million. Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are expected to form the core of the group, with Wataru Endo available for rotation and young options James McConnell and Trey Nyoni still developing. An early-season performance away at Newcastle, in which Gravenberch was caught in possession and Szoboszlai looked uncomfortable in deeper areas, had prompted calls for reinforcement.
Those calls will go unanswered. Sporting director Richard Hughes has made clear the club is not in the market for midfielders unless a further exit materialises — something considered highly unlikely. Even speculation linking Mac Allister with Manchester City is not expected to prompt any sales. McConnell has been told he will remain at the club rather than leave on loan.
The stance aligns with Liverpool’s broader recruitment focus this window, which has prioritised attacking options such as Bradley Barcola over midfield additions. Camara’s physicality, tenacity and technical range would have offered an immediate upgrade in energy and ball-winning ability, but the hierarchy believes the current squad is sufficient for the 2026/27 season.
Chelsea are therefore expected to finalise the move from Monaco. Any hopes of a late Liverpool intervention have been extinguished.
