Chelsea suffered a major setback on transfer deadline day after Monaco pulled the plug on their deal to sign midfielder Lamine Camara, despite the two clubs having reached the final stages of an agreement.
Camara had on the way to undergone a medical and signed a six-year contract with Chelsea, while the transfer documents for the reported £47 million deal were also said to have been signed. However, Monaco informed Chelsea at the last minute that they had decided to halt the transfer.
Monaco’s decision was linked to a change in plans surrounding striker Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton. Monaco revived negotiations over the transfer and subsequently decided to keep Camara, although the Balogun deal also collapsed later after the player rejected a move to Everton.
The collapse of the deal left Chelsea with insufficient time to find a replacement for Camara, who had been expected to help fill the void left by Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea had agreed to Fernandez’s £125 million transfer to Manchester City and, despite having the option to block the move, proceeded with the agreement that had been reached.
