Monaco have reportedly given Liverpool the “green light” to negotiate over Lamine Camara, the Senegal international midfielder at AS Monaco, according to Football Insider. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Liverpool are preparing a €50m offer: nothing has been confirmed at this stage.
The story is circulating without having been confirmed by the parties involved. According to Football Insider, relayed by OneFootball and Football365, AS Monaco have given Liverpool a “green light” to open talks over Lamine Camara, the 22-year-old Senegal international midfielder whom the club would be “ready to sell” in January.
The case follows on from the one FootAfrica has already been covering on the Senegalese player’s performances at Monaco. It comes in the run-up to the winter transfer window (January 2027).
Chelsea, the deal that fell through in the summer
To understand this opening, you have to go back to the end of the summer transfer window. According to Football365, Chelsea had at the time reached a €55m agreement with the Principality club for Camara, who had himself accepted a six-year contract. In the final hours, Monaco ultimately pulled out.
Football365 also reports that the club wanted to sell Folarin Balogun to Everton, but the striker changed his mind and both players stayed at Monaco. The Senegalese midfielder therefore did not leave the Principality in the summer.
Since then, Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race for the player. According to Football365, Chelsea would now favour Alex Scott, of Bournemouth, which would leave Liverpool a clear run.
Fifty million, sixty million?
There remains the question of price, which for now is only a matter of press estimates. Tuttomercatoweb reported on Monday that Liverpool were preparing a €50m offer, or £42m, Football365 relays. At this stage, it is not an offer that has been submitted.
On the other side, Monaco could demand up to £60m for their midfielder, again according to Football365, which would open up several rounds of negotiations between the two clubs. These figures should be set against the €55m agreement reached with Chelsea this summer, and the gap between the numbers outlines the room for manoeuvre in the talks to come.
Decision expected in January
All of this remains dependent on the winter transfer window. It is in January 2027 that Monaco and Liverpool’s decision on a possible transfer will be settled. Nothing at this stage allows us to state that an offer has been made or that a departure is a done deal.
The summer precedent invites caution: a €55m agreement with Chelsea had existed before Monaco pulled out in the final hours. The “green light” reported by the English press is not a signature, and the case could yet see more twists before the market opens.