news-engine

Liverpool and Manchester United have learned that it will take more than €60m (£51m) to sign AS Monaco star Lamine Camara. Reports have linked both clubs with Camara for several months now, but his price tag has just gone up. Until recently, it was widely believed that a €50m (£43m) bid would be enough to convince Monaco to part ways with the Senegal international. Now, however, a fresh report carried by French newspaper Monaco-Matin, via Sport Witness, suggests that Monaco want more than €60m (£51.2m) to sell Camara, although the Ligue 1 club doesn’t want to sell. They will only consider massive bids for the 22-year-old, with interest in Camara growing. Clubs in England are tracking the midfielder’s situation, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace all very keen on Camara. Palace had a €35m £29m) bid rejected outright, falling well below the originally reported asking price. Camara not desperate to leave Monaco Crucially, Monaco-Matin reports that Camara is not desperate to leave Monaco, which puts the French club in a comfortable position. With the Ligue 1 club requiring ‘a substantial offer’ to let Camara leave, the player’s willingness to spend a third season at AS Monaco makes negotiations with them difficult. It’s said that club insiders expect him to follow the same path as Maghnes Akliouche. The forward just joined PSG, but he was wanted by the Parisians last summer before spending another season at Monaco before making the move. Liverpool like Camara, but what they need is a traditional No.6 With Liverpool set to return to high-pressing, aggressively front-footed football under Andoni Iraola, their defence will be exposed regularly based on their current midfield makeup. The only natural defensive midfielder in the squad is Wataru Endo, but at 33, he can’t be relied on to start 32+ Premier League games, and without a younger, but experienced No.6, I worry that Liverpool will be overrun in midfield again this season. Ryan Gravenberch is a fantastic player, but he’s not a No.6. It must be said that there isn’t exactly an abundance of top holding midfielders available, but it doesn’t seem like Liverpool are scouring the market for one either.