It's one of the biggest twists of the final day of the transfer window. Lamine Camara will not be joining Chelsea after all, even though the Senegalese midfielder's transfer seemed completely sealed.
A 55 million euro deal ultimately abandoned
After several rounds of negotiations, Chelsea and Monaco had reached an agreement around 55 million euros. Camara was set to sign a six-year contract and his transfer was in the process of being finalized.
But Monaco ultimately decided to go back on the deal. The reason lies in another matter: that of Folarin Balogun. While the striker's move to Everton seemed to have stalled, negotiations resumed, and Monaco ultimately prioritized that deal instead.
The Monaco club, forced to make a significant sale before the English market closed, therefore chose to keep Camara rather than lose both players at once.
A hard blow for Chelsea
For Chelsea, the blow is particularly hard. The club was looking to replace Enzo Fernández, who left just hours earlier for Manchester City for 125 million pounds, and had identified Camara as one of the priority solutions.
Camara stays at Monaco, but his status has changed
For the Senegalese player, this evening inevitably leaves a bittersweet taste. At 22 years old, Camara was on the verge of joining a Premier League giant and taking a new step forward in his career.
The transfer is off, but his status has changed: Chelsea was ready to invest 55 million euros to sign him, proof of his value on the market.
Lamine Camara therefore stays at Monaco. But his transfer saga will be remembered as one of the most spectacular of this final day.
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