Liverpool transfer news: Why 'favoured' £47m Lamine Camara was not signed as fans call for January window addition

Liverpool only viewed Lamine Camara as the favoured replacement for Alexis Mac Allister, the newest report has claimed.

The closure of the summer transfer window saw the Reds make four additions to their first-team squad, with Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo, Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola signed.

However, many supporters are concerned about the state of Andoni Iraola's team due to the club opting against signing a midfielder.

Monaco's Camara had been linked, but while fans were keen for the Merseysiders to bring him to Anfield, a move never materialised.

James Pearce reported for The Athletic that Camara was viewed as a genuine target, though only if Mac Allister had departed, but he added that interest could be revived in 2027.

Lamine Camara to Liverpool: Did Reds make the right call in transfer window?

Chelsea were reported to have agreed a £47m fee with Monaco for Camara before the deal collapsed on Tuesday, so the midfielder's price would not have been particularly prohibitive for the Reds.

The decision to not pursue the 22-year-old in the summer appears odd, especially considering Curtis Jones was sold to Inter Milan.

Trey Nyoni has been touted as Jones's replacement, but relying on the 19-year-old would be unfair given he has played just 38 minutes of Premier League football in his career.

Signing Camara would not have blocked the pathway of Nyoni, and if Mac Allister departs in 2027, the teenager would be more prepared to take on a larger role in Iraola's setup.

Why Liverpool should sign Lamine Camara in January transfer window

It was telling that Iraola dropped Ryan Gravenberch from the starting XI against Nottingham Forest last weekend, though neither Mac Allister nor Dominik Szoboszlai played particularly well.

Signing Camara would give the Reds a stable defensive presence in the middle of the pitch, and he could also help elevate the performances of the aforementioned trio.

An added benefit of signing Camara would be that Szoboszlai could then be moved to right-back, which has been a problem area for Liverpool this season, though it remains to be seen if the Merseysiders wait until the next summer transfer window before signing the Monaco star.