One area of the team that Arne Slott will need to keep an eye on if he continues to manage Liverpool is midfield ahead of the summer transfer window.
In the Premier League, the Reds’ trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenbirch has not been as dominant as last season, and the balance is still not in the middle.
In particular, Mac Allister has fallen behind compared to the previous period. The Argentina international played 36 league matches, losing 55% of his ground battles and 56% of his aerial battles.
For the Reds he was too weak when in possession of the ball in the center of the park, as opposing midfielders found it too easy to beat him in a duel.
Liverpool lacked a commanding presence in the center of midfield and looked like they needed another player like Fabinho to anchor the team.
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Of course, Fabinho was an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s title-winning team in 2019/20, with a 55% duel success rate in 28 appearances, providing defensive quality and strength for the German head coach.
The Reds are now reportedly interested in signing a player who could be a slot version of the Brazilian star, who was signed for £40m from Monaco.
Liverpool are among the clubs eyeing Monaco’s central midfielder Lamine Camara in the upcoming summer transfer window, according to reports in France.
According to the newspaper, Premier League rivals Newcastle United are already in talks with the player’s agent ahead of signing him.
He added that Liverpool are keeping a close eye on these negotiations and are ready to make a competitive offer to the Magpies for the Senegal international soon.
Futto Mercato revealed that a transfer fee of around £44 million would be enough for Monaco to sell Kamara, and it will now be up to the Reds and Newcastle to sign him this summer.
Lamine Kamara will be Liverpool’s new Fabinho
The last time Liverpool signed a defensive midfielder from Monaco it went pretty well, with Fabinho winning the Premier League and Champions League during his time on Merseyside.
Kamara’s performances with the French team in 2025/26 suggest he has the qualities to arrive at Anfield this summer as a similar type of midfield enforcer.
Described as a “phenomenal” duelist by scout Ben Mattinson, the 22-year-old talent showed he could dominate in duels and make constant defensive interventions to disrupt opposition attacks in the center of the park.
status | Fabinho (19/20 PL) | Camera (25/26 L1) |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 28 | twenty three |
assist | 3 | 4 |
Number of tackles per game | 2.2 | 2.3 |
Number of dribble breakthroughs per game | 1.5x | 0.8x |
Interceptions per game | 1.2 | 1.6 |
Duels won per match | 4.7 | 5.7 |
Ground duel success rate | 52% | 61% |
His statistics, particularly defensively, are strikingly similar to Fabinho’s from his Premier League title-winning season and speak to the quality Kamara could bring to Anfield if slotted in in the coming months.
Like the Brazilian star, the £44m-rated talent has the physicality, mobility and awareness to be a screener in front of the back four, and is always able to make a tackle or an interception to win the ball back for his team.
But he’s more than just a defensive midfielder. Kamara has also shown he can provide quality play in possession, creating eight ‘big chances’ and registering four assists from the center of the park.
Mac Allister, on the other hand, has lost 55% of his duels in the Premier League this season, made just 1.4 tackles per game and created just four ‘big chances’ for his team, suggesting the Monaco star will contribute more to the team both on and off the ball in midfield.
Liverpool need more mobility and defense in midfield after conceding 52 goals in 37 league games this season, and Kamara’s form in Monaco suggests he can provide that.
It is up to the board to decide whether to sign the Senegalese international to strengthen their slot midfield, so that they have the appropriate tools at their disposal to turn the team around in the 2026-27 season.
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