Why Liverpool want to sign £51m midfielder

Summer after summer, it feels like Liverpool have undergone plenty of transition in recent years. From Jurgen Klopp’s earth-shaking decision to step down to Mohamed Salah‘s break from his record-breaking contract less than two months ago, the Reds know a thing or two about adversity.

It’s curious that Liverpool have dipped far lower than other clubs over the past decade. All outfits experience peaks and valleys, but Liverpool swing wider than most.

Last year’s collapse under Arne Slot felt particularly steep, especially after winning the Premier League so confidently under the Dutchman only one term before.

Change was always going to be afoot, and Andoni Iraola is overseeing the transition. The latest to leave Anfield, it appears, could be boyhood fan Curtis Jones.

Who can replace Jones at Liverpool

If Liverpool end up selling Jones to Inter Milan, as has been slated and is expected, then Iraola will eagerly await a big-money replacement before the transfer market slams shut.

Jones emerged as the Serie A side’s top target much earlier in the transfer window, but negotiations have become protracted, as they often do, with the sides struggling to agree on financial conditions.

Jones is a gifted ball-playing midfielder. He has a spring in his step and is capable of outfoxing opponents with deft footwork. But it’s a simple truth that he has struggled at times to bring it all together, and his repeated struggles to nail down a starting berth in the Premier League have tipped his mind toward a transfer.

Though Liverpool have ended speculation about Alexis Mac Allister’s future, with the Argentine’s agent and father confirming he is expecting to stay at Anfield for the year ahead, another presence in the middle of the park really wouldn’t go amiss.

Liverpool eyeing move to sign Jones upgrade

If Liverpool do sell Jones, FSG must ensure they bring over a replacement who can echo some of the 25-year-old’s ability while adding something new.

How about one of the most complete midfielders out there? According to Monaco-Matin, via Sport Witness, Monaco are determined to keep onto prized midfielder Lamine Camara this summer, following a tidal wave of interest from the Premier League.

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Manchester United and Crystal Palace have already been informed that €60m (£51m) will not be enough, the latter pulling out of the race. Liverpool (and Chelsea) are among other named suitors, and though the Ligue 1 outfit are adamant he’s staying put, we’ve seen any number of times how stances can shifted when entering the final stretch of the transfer window.

If Liverpool sell Jones, their desire for a new midfielder will only intensify. Camara would fit the bill. The 22-year-old might not be looking to force a move away from Monaco, but it’s unlikely that he’d object to a move to Merseyside, should Liverpool enter and progress in club-to-club negotiations.

Camara is relatively inexperienced, but he is quickly emerging as “one of the best centre-midfielders in the world“, according to Filipe Luis, boasting a remarkably clean skillset and a wicked blend of technicality and defensive acumen.

As per Como scout Ben Mattinson, Camara “has an insane engine, covering large amounts of ground“. In that, he shares something with Liverpool’s Jones, but arguably has a wider range than the six-time England international, and he’s younger besides.

Jones rarely loses possession, but that is not an inherent positive. He has been known to choose the safe option at times, whereas Camara has been richly rewarded for his ambitious on-the-ball efforts with Monaco. Moreover, the Senegal international is a superior defensive option, unrelenting and intense.

It’s the precise profile that Iraola needs to see drafted in before the end of the window. Liverpool are decidedly short in the centre, and though it’s a boost that Mac Allister is staying put, he was horribly out of sorts last year, and the new Spanish boss has already bemoaned his team’s poor fitness levels ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Jones might feel he could cement himself as a centrepiece of the new project, but Liverpool and their new coach clearly feel differently, else they would have rebuffed Inter’s advances outright.

We have to assume that these shifting pieces will create room for an exciting central signing. Jones has at times been criticised for being overly laboured and hesitant on the ball.

Camara could change that, marking an upgrade through more robust and purposeful midfield performances. If Liverpool get this one over the line, it could be a significant play for an outfit targeting a return to the ascendancy.