At a Glance:
- Newcastle and Liverpool keen on African Player of the Year
- Sandro Tonali is linked with a summer exit
- Another potential transfer war between the Magpies and the Reds
Newcastle and Liverpool reportedly hold an interest in 22-year-old Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara ahead of the summer window. The iPaper understands that the Magpies have been keeping an eye on the Monaco midfielder to boost their options.
Ekrem Konur reports that Liverpool has been impressed with his performances this season. This comes amid rumors circulating in recent weeks over Sandro Tonali’s future on Tyneside.
With a potential Tonali replacement needed, the two-time African Young Player of the Year award winner could be the solution. He will have three years left on his contract this summer.
Shining in France
Camara made the switch from Metz to Monaco in 2024, and he has been a breakout star for Les Rouge et Blanc. In 2024/25, he made 29 Ligue 1 appearances and debuted in the Champions League, where he played nine times.
Alongside Denis Zakaria and Aleksandr Golovin, Camara helped establish a strong midfield as they went on to finish third, only behind PSG and Marseille. This season, both Camara and his club have struggled, and the Senegalese midfielder has been out of the side for two months with an ankle injury.
Monaco were knocked out of the Coupe de France in the Round of 16, and currently sit in seventh, six points off Champions League positions. Given the French side’s tricky position, they may be forced into selling the highly rated youngster, and the door could open to Premier League suitors.
Camara Continues to Impress
Monaco have largely struggled without Camara in their team, having won only 22% of their games without him, compared to 62% with him, including a 3-1 away win at PSG last weekend.
Camara’s continued development and playing style have drawn comparisons to players such as Sergio Busquets and his teammate, Paul Pogba. In an interview with GetFootballNewsFrance, Camara has also claimed that Monaco manager Sebastien Pocognoli has provided him with a boost.
“In these moments, we see a manager who reassures us, who tells us that he is behind us. We receive his confidence. We hope that we will share lots of good times with him.”
However, Camara has already expressed his future plans, and a move to England could be on the agenda.
“The Premier League is a league I follow a lot; everyone follows it. I am not thinking about changing clubs, but at the end of the season, we will see what happens.”
Another transfer war
Liverpool and Newcastle are showing the strongest interest in Camara, according to reports, and they could be set to battle it out in the transfer market yet again. Last summer, it seemed that Hugo Ekitike would make a move to St James’ Park from Frankfurt.
However, Arne Slot’s side quickly pursued a deal for the French forward as he went on to sign for the Reds. Alexander Isak was also a major issue between the clubs after he went on strike, looking for a move to Merseyside.
Isak got his move to Liverpool in a £125 million deal on deadline day after Newcastle had already pulled off deals for Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. While Howe will be looking to add quality to his midfield with a possible summer sale of Tonali, Slot will look to add more depth.
