Liverpool’s list of prospective replacements for Fabinho now includes yet another Premier League defensive midfielder to go along with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Cheick Doucoure.
According to The Athletic, the Reds are ‘considering a number of options’ in terms of a new number 6, with a list which includes familiar names such as Romeo Lavia and Ryan Gravenberch.
Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara is also in the Anfield club’s sights as they turn their attention towards replacing the Brazil international, who has ‘agreed terms’ on a move to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia (Fabrizio Romano).
The transfer link comes just days after former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore talked up the 23-year-old as a potential ‘excellent acquisition’ for Jurgen Klopp to consider (CaughtOffside).
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Kamara was brought to the Premier League by Steven Gerrard last summer, with the then-Villa manager describing the Frenchman as ‘excellent’ during their mutual time at the Midlands club (OneFootball).
While there are reports of Crystal Palace demanding as much as £70m for Doucoure (Daily Mail), Liverpool should find the Villa Park midfielder more readily attainable, judging by a Football Transfers valuation of €44.5m (£38.7m).
Both players are 23 years of age and have had one season in the English top flight, so they are very much comparable targets.
As per FBref, the Eagles midfielder won more tackles and interceptions and took more shots than the Frenchman, although Kamara had a better success rate for passing and aerial duels than the Mali international.
Unai Emery and Villa will know how desperate Liverpool are to sign a holding midfielder and could duly follow Palace’s lead in charging a premium for their standout operator in that position.
Their price point could decide whether the Anfield hierarchy focus more heavily on the Frenchman or his Selhurst Park counterpart – if, indeed, either rises to the top of Klopp’s ever-growing list of contenders to take over the mantle from Fabinho.