Liverpool Emerge As ‘Rival Suitor’ for Two Chelsea Midfield Targets
Liverpool are now credited with rival interest in two midfielders Chelsea made attempts to recruit during the summer transfer window.
Come January, or next summer, we could see the pair of Premier League clubs go head-to-head for Manu Koné, Lamine Camara, or both.
Knowing that Manchester City were coming with an offer for Enzo Fernández too good to turn down—the Argentine moved on Deadline Day for $169 million (£125 million) and became the joint most expensive player in Premier League history in the process—Chelsea took steps.
Koné was the primary target but Roma were reported to have blocked attempts to poach France’s 2026 World Cup midfielder before a deal could progress. He was also linked with Manchester United before the Red Devils agreed a $95 million (£70 million) transfer for Carlos Baleba.
Chelsea attention then moved to Camara, who was on the cusp of moving to Stamford Bridge for $63.7 million (£47 million) until Monaco pulled the plug at the 11th hour, around the same time as Folarin Balogun’s proposed Monaco exit was on-off-on, but eventually off.
Chelsea had the opportunity to cancel the Fernández sale but decided not to. The Blues should survive being light in midfield in the short term—Xabi Alonso has been plugging gaps with fullbacks and has had Moisés Caicedo for only 14 minutes this season—but the expectation that some form of European competition will return in 2026–27 makes strengthening important.
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Chelsea’s Midfielder Search Left Incomplete
Whether it’s for Koné or Camara those efforts are resurrected, Liverpool pose a threat.
Transfer specialist David Ornstein spoke of the “interest” from Liverpool in Camara on the latest episode of The Athletic FC Podcast. There are “other” unnamed clubs also said to be keeping tabs on the 22-year-old Senegal international.
It remains to be seen whether the relationship between Chelsea and Monaco will allow the Blues to go back in for Camara. Reports in the wake of the deal collapse made it clear Chelsea’s fury at the Ligue 1 team’s conduct in canceling the transfer.
On Koné, who replaced Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni in France’s World Cup starting XI several times, Ornstein added that Liverpool “like him” as a potential future option. One of the key factors governing his path is Roma’s “financial compliance,” which may hinge on European participation. For now, the Giallorossi are competing in the Champions League.
Alexis Mac Allister Bombshell Explains Liverpool Interest
Speaking bluntly to reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, Alexis Mac Allister revealed that he’d turned down the opportunity to leave Liverpool during the transfer window and that the club is not intending to offer him a new contract any time soon.
Mac Allister is into the final two years of the long-term deal he signed upon making the switch from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023, which is about when key players are typically extended. Liverpool fumbled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s renewal at that stage but have already secured new and improved long-term contracts for Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.
A “sad” Mac Allister said his agent has been informed by Liverpool officials that the club is “not in a position” to offer him fresh terms. Given his age—the 2022 World Cup winner turns 28 on Christmas Eve—there is little financial incentive to propose the same kind of deal as Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, who are both younger and performed better last season.
Liverpool could try to sell Mac Allister again within the next 12 months to avoid a situation whereby he can leave as a free agent in 2028. Ironically, Chelsea might actually be a good landing spot for him to replace international colleague Fernández.
There is also an expectation that Liverpool will say goodbye to Wataru Endō at the end of the season. The 33-year-old is out of contract next June and was not included in the club’s Champions League squad for this season’s league phase. So it stands to reason that the Reds will chase the signing of more than one midfielder before next season.
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