Senegal Portraits - FIFA World Cup 2026
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 12: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) (EDITOR’S NOTE: Tonal effects have been applied to this image) Lamine Camara #8 of Senegal poses for a portrait during the official FIFA World Cup 2026 portrait session on June 12, 2026 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
FIFA via Getty Images
With lightning speed, Chelsea have moved to secure the signature of Lamine Camara, with the 22-year-old midfielder set to join from AS Monaco on a six-year contract (plus an option year). The fee is expected to be around €55m (£47m).
Chelsea had a €45m offer rejected earlier in the week.
Camara is set to take the squad spot vacated by Enzo Fernández, who’s joining Manchester City at long last. Chelsea were said to be happy enough to not fill the spot, but kept working on the Camara deal, which had become a frequent rumor mill subject in the last few days. But it still didn’t look like we’d be able to get it done.
Then, Folarin Balogun pulled the plug on his Everton move (or failed his medical), and forced Monaco to look for a bit of necessary transfer income somewhere else. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Now we’ve got roughly 90 minutes left to complete a medical (UPDATE: The Athletic say that’s done) and get all the necessary signatures and file all the necessary paperwork. Thankfully, we no longer have to rely on fax machines for such things these days, so let’s hope the servers are all running at full capacity. Don’t forget to feed the hamsters!
Camara’s transfer might not get announced tonight, but as long as everything is in order before the 11pm (BST) deadline, it should be good.
Time’s a-ticking!