Sources: Liverpool well placed to agree January Lamine Camara deal

Chelsea will not be willing to pay Monaco's new £60million asking price for midfielder Lamine Camara in January, sources have told Football Insider.

The Blues saw a late £47m move for the 22-year-old collapse in the final hours of the summer window, and they are not prepared to up their offering at all this winter.

Monaco's decision to pull the plug on the Senegal international's move to Stamford Bridge has opened the door for a whole host of admirers to move in.

Sources say that Liverpool are among the clubs that remain hugely keen on Camara, and could potentially make a move for him this winter.

The Reds are long-term admirers of the Monaco youngster, but did not feel that the timing was right for them to launch a move for him in the summer.

Camara has returned to action for Monaco of late, and has notched one assist across the opening four games in Ligue 1.

Monaco set premium price in mid-season

Monaco had been happy to sell Camara in the summer, but pulled the plug on their deal with Chelsea when they thought Folarin Balogun was heading to Everton.

The French side intended to boost their financial position by selling one of their big stars, but ultimately ended up with both of them still in their ranks.

However, with the season underway, their stance has now shifted dramatically when it comes to Camara.

They are reluctant to lose their star midfielder in the middle of the campaign and have hiked their asking price up as a result.

Chelsea have been left frustrated by the way their initial deal collapsed, and as a result, would not be willing to climb up to the £60m mark if they decided to revisit a deal.

That looks set to leave the door open for Liverpool and other clubs to swoop in, but they will have to be content with paying a hefty fee.

What Chelsea must do to revive Lamine Camara deal

Football Insider revealed on Monday that if Chelsea want to move back in for Camara, then they must first work to repair their relations with Monaco behind the scenes.

Xabi Alonso's side are understood to be "very angry" with their French counterparts, and believe they acted in an "unprofessional manner" by pulling away from the deal.

Sources say that a deal for Chelsea to sign Camara in future is still not "dead and buried," but there is work to be done between the two clubs before it can even come back on the radar.

Alonso and Co. desperately needed a new centre-midfielder after selling Enzo Fernandez, and they are now short of options centrally as a result.