Liverpool Transfer News: Reds could sign the PERFECT Martin Zubimendi alternative

There's been a lot of talk about Martin Zubimendi and Liverpool.

The truth is even though Ryan Gravenberch has been brilliant under Arne Slot, the Reds need reinforcements in that position.

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Slot clearly doesn't rate Liverpool's current alternative options in Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton, who are hardly getting a sniff right now.

So, Zubimendi seems like an ideal addition to the squad. He's well liked, and Liverpool were very close to signing him in the summer window.

Yet, there is perhaps an even better alternative option for Richard Hughes. Someone who is also five years younger than Zubimendi and comes from the same place where Sadio Mane first emerged into the footballing world.

Why Lamine Camara is the PERFECT Martin Zubimendi alternative for Liverpool

Camara is a product of the brilliant academy in Senegal known as Generation Foot. It's where Mane among countless other Premier League stars from Senegal learned their trade.

And like Mane, Camara made the transition to Europe via FC Metz in France where he scored a goal from the half-way line last season but was unable to keep the side in Ligue 1.

AS Monaco swooped in for the 20-year-old where he is now teammates with Takumi Minamino and catching the eye in the Champions League, even when his side are losing 3-0.

Just take a look at his numbers below against Arsenal.

Okay, so Camara is a decent young midfielder who can play well against one of the best teams in the Premier League. That alone doesn't make him the perfect solution for Liverpool.

But his numbers this season should definitely convince you otherwise.

Especially when you compare them to not just Zubimendi but Gravenberch as well in the key metrics for the holding midfield position at Liverpool.

So straight off the bat, one of the most important stats that you need as a midfielder under Slot is the ability to cover a lot of ground. This season Camara averages 11.2km covered per 90 minutes in the Champions League.

That's more than Gravenberch (10.93km per 90) and slightly less than Liverpool's leader for the metric, Dominik Szoboszlai (11.7km per 90).

Camara has a lot of energy but there's much more to him as well. He's also someone who is excellent on the ball and can manipulate and instigate chances for his teammates.

As per FBref, Camara averages 5.74 progressive passes per 90. This puts him in the middle of Zubimendi (6.93) and Gravenberch (5.33).

But he's head and shoulders above them for key passes with 17 in total so far this season as opposed to Zubimendi (10) and Gravenberch (8). He's done that while playing less minutes as well.

Defensively, Camara is solid when it comes to one vs one situations and winning the ball. He wins 2.55 tackles per 90 which is again more than Zubimendi (1.60) and Gravenberch (1.09).

It's always important to look at squad context for defensive numbers, because they are likely to be better or have more volume when a team is more defensive or has less of the ball.

That doesn't seem to be the case for Camara - Monaco average 56.2% possession in Ligue 1 this season which is the fourth highest in the league. For context, Liverpool average 56.6% in the Premier League this season.

So, the fact that Camara is winning almost more than 1.5 tackles per game than Gravenberch is impressive. Especially, considering he is also very close to the Dutchman's interception metrics as well (1.91 per 90 compared to Gravenberch's 2.04 per 90) and way higher than Zubimendi's (1.27).

Camara also makes the most recoveries (6.70 per 90) out of the trio with Gravenberch averaging 5.47 per 90 and Zubimendi averaging 4.73 per 90.

Time for Richard Hughes to pounce

Monaco only signed Camara in the summer. They won't want to part ways with him so soon considering he is a key part of their midfield.

Ideally, Liverpool need a holding midfielder right now in the January window as it will only be a matter of time until Gravenberch runs out of gas.

However, waiting for Camara until the summer might make more sense for Hughes.

The Senegalese star has all the qualities to be a long-term stable addition to Slot's midfield. He's got everything to suit that role and that is why pouncing on him in the summer window makes a lot of sense for Liverpool.

But Hughes doesn't need to wait until then, he can begin negotiations right now and get a deal in place for the summer. Before anyone else swoops in.

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