Newcastle in battle with Liverpool for Lamine Camara - L’Equipe

Newcastle United will be challenged by Liverpool for one of their top midfield targets this summer.

The Magpies are hoping for a major overhaul of the squad in the summer, with pretty much every position in need of strengthening.

We'd be crazy to think that the club will manage to do that, but we're being linked with players all over the pitch as we barrel towards the summer window.

When our midfield trio are fully fit, they are the envy of the Premier League, but that has been rare this season, and there's also the fear that Sandro Tonali could leave in the summer, so it makes sense that Eddie Howe and Ross Wilson are looking at midfield reinforcements.

Even if Tonali stays, it's expected that Joe Willock will leave, so adding another midfielder just makes sense.

Liverpool join Camara race?

Monaco's Lamine Camara has been on Newcastle's radar for a while, and the 22-year-old could be quite high on the list of summer targets.

However, a report from French outlet L’Équipe has now claimed that Liverpool is entering the race for the Senegalese star.

L’Equipe insists that Newcastle are long-term admirers who remain in the race for Camara’s signature, but Liverpool’s interest could make life very difficult, as we saw last summer. 

Camara is contracted at Monaco to 2029, but it's thought that they would be open to a sale if their valuation is met.

Would Camara be a priority?

Newcastle have been tracking Camara for a while now, but no moves have been made, so it's pretty much an even playing field between the Magpies and Liverpool in that sense.

Obviously, the Reds will have European football to offer, which Newcastle now almost certainly won't after Sunday’s dropped points at Forest.

We wouldn't say that midfield is a big priority for Newcastle as things stand, even if Willock is let go. But if Tonali leaves too, that changes things massively, so we'll have to keep an eye on this one.