Chelsea had a €45m (£38.5m) bid for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara rejected earlier on Tuesday amid ongoing talks with Manchester City over Enzo Fernandez.
The 22-year-old is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge, but a deal is unlikely to be agreed at that price. Camara has emerged as Chelsea’s preferred solution with Fernandez’s departure looming, and the club have already done the groundwork with the player.
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The Senegal international was offered to Liverpool this summer, but the Reds are not expected to make any further signings before Tuesday’s 11pm transfer deadline.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Chelsea have now agreed a deal in principle to sign Camara from AS Monaco.
Camara is currently undergoing a medical under Chelsea staff supervision. Chelsea and Monaco are preparing the necessary documents to complete the deal in time, with all parties optimistic.
Romano posted on X: “Chelsea agree deal in principle to sign Lamine Camara from AS Monaco, here we go! Fee worth €55m and authorization to travel for medical. Initial agreement done now running in order to complete medical and formal steps in time.”
Camara is under contract with Monaco until June 2029 and is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge as a direct replacement for Fernandez.
Fernandez is closing in on a £125m move to Manchester City, where he would reunite with Enzo Maresca. Chelsea have targeted Camara throughout the summer, beating Crystal Palace to their priority midfielder.
Fernandez’s impending departure follows a turbulent spell under Xabi Alonso, who recently left him out of the squad for the Carabao Cup win over Luton Town and questioned his mentality and preparation.
Explaining the decision to drop him, Alonso stated: “We need the players that are in the best situation to play. We need to take everything into consideration – players that are in a good moment, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me, it is very important they feel this desire to play and to have good preparation.”
Camara has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1 over the past two years, making 75 appearances for Monaco across all competitions. He has scored six goals and provided 11 assists during his time in France.
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