Since the end of the transfer window the name Lamine Camara has been whispered around in the circles of Liverpool and the corridors of Anfield quiet frequently.
Liverpool did not interfere in the collapse of the Senegalese midfielder’s transfer to Chelsea. But they have always made it clear the Camara was highly appreciated by the club’s recruitment team.
Camara, who followed a similar path to Sadio Mane, joining Generation Foot before moving to Europe via FC Metz, is also very open to follow in the footsteps of his country’s footballing idol.
It all feels like a move that is being geared up for the January window. Of course a lot can happen until then, and Liverpool will have to sell before they can buy. However, Camara is clearly very much at the top of the club’s thinking when it comes to their next signing.
And just why that might be the case? Well let’s take a look.
Camara’s outstanding strengths
When you watch him play what immediately stands out about Camara is that he covers a lot of ground.
He is an extremely energetic player who is capable of covering a lot of ground. Camara is ideal for a team who consistently press and want to play on the front foot.
As per Scoutlabs, you can see that he ranks in the upper 90th percentile for recoveries per 90 minutes.
In fast, last season no one won possession (8.19 per 90 minutes) than Camara in the entirety of Ligue 1.
This is all the more impressive considering Monaco’s possession is above the average when it comes to Ligue 1 teams.
So, it isn’t necessarily like Camara’s numbers are benefitting from his team sitting deep and not holding onto the ball.
He is already used to being defensively very astute in a team that expects to hold the ball for the majority of the game – like Liverpool.
So why is he so good at defending?
Well, he reads the game well. He is very good at intercepting passes and knowing where the ball is going to be.
Secondly, what helps him massively is that he is quick over short distances and he has quick reaction times.
Just take a look at this pressing sequence and goal that he scored in Monaco’s final game of last season.
Camara here anticipates that the goalkeeper is going to play out from the back. He is immediately on the front foot and closes down the player who the ball is going to go to.
Camars is so quick that within a millisecond he puts himself ahead of his opponent. He slides in, and he makes really good contact with the ball.
It’s such a strong contact that it actually ends up in the back of the net.
