Lamine Camara is set to join Chelsea (Getty)
Chelsea have agreed a €55 million (£47.1m) deal to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chelsea had a €45m (£38.5m) bid for Camara rejected by Monaco and their follow-up offer of €50m (£42.8m) was also turned down.
However, Monaco need to free up a non-EU slot in their squad and had been in talks to sell Folarin Balogun to Everton before the deal fell through on Tuesday evening.
That has allowed Chelsea to come through with a third offer for Camara on deadline day and Monaco have now accepted their €55m (£47.1m) bid.
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Camara has signed a six-year contract with Chelsea, which includes an optional additional year.
Chelsea are confident that the deal can be agreed before the 11pm transfer window deadline on Tuesday evening.
Lamine Camara played for Senegal at the World Cup this summer (CameraSport via Getty)
Liverpool and Manchester United have also expressed an interest in signing Camara this summer before Chelsea made their first initial approach last month.
Speaking after his side’s 3-2 win against Liverpool at Anfield in a pre-season friendly, Monaco head coach Filipe Luis made it clear that he wanted Camara to stay at the club.
[Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on August 31, 2026. Arsenal won the game 1-0. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on August 31, 2026. Arsenal won the game 1-0. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /](https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/01/mikel-arteta-sends-message-viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-allow-star-leave-29507235/)
‘We want to build a truly competitive team. I’m very selfish and I want to keep all the players. I don’t want anyone to leave,’ Luis said.
‘But I know that clubs have to make sales, which we have done. I hope we can keep him. He’s probably one of the best midfielders in the world.
‘I don’t want to say too much, because I know that many clubs are interested in him. We all want him to stay. He’s really important to me. He’s very gifted with the ball at his feet, he covers a lot of ground. He’s an exceptional player. I’m really pleased with him.
‘I have every hope that he stays. I think he’s happy in Monaco. If he stays, he’ll be able to work even harder. Because he’s going to play, as I said, a key role in my system of play.’
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LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Xabi Alonso manager / head coach of Chelsea instructs Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Fulham and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Xabi Alonso manager / head coach of Chelsea instructs Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Fulham and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)