Lamine Camara celebrating for Monaco
Chelsea have seen their late transfer deadline day move to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco collapse, GIVEMESPORT understands.
After agreeing a £125million deal with Manchester City to sell Enzo Fernandez, the Blues were on the hunt late on deadline day to bring in a replacement midfielder.
And after Folarin Balogun's move to Everton looked set to collapse due to problems with the striker's medical, Chelsea were given hope of completing a deal for Camara, with Monaco needing to sell before the transfer window shut.
Chelsea made moves for three Premier League stars
via Reuters
However, the French outfit pulled the plug on the deal, after re-negotiating the terms of Balogun's move to Everton, leaving Chelsea furious.
The Blues made approaches for a number of midfielders on deadline day, including three Premier League stars in Lucas Bergvall, Martin Zubimendi and Morgan Gibbs-White, but it was Camara who looked the most likely for a certain period of time.
There was a resignation for some time that no Fernandez replacement would come in, until the news of the complications wirth Balogun's medical at Everton surfaced.
Knowing Monaco needed to sanction one sale, Chelsea went back in for Camara and it looked like they would get their man, only for the French side to pull out of the deal at the last moment.
GMS understands that Chelsea reached a full written club-to-club agreement with Monaco for the 22-year-old, with a €55million (£41milion) deal in place. But having re-negotiated the Balogun deal with Everton, Monaco reneged on the agreement they had reached and confirmed in writing with Chelsea.
GMS understands Chelsea view this as deeply unprofessional. the Blues even had the opportunity to pull the plug on Fernandez's big-money move to Man City, after learning of Monaco's decision, but chose not to.
Camara has played all four of Monaco's games so far this season - two in Ligue Un and two in UEFA Champions League qualifying - playing every single minute of those matches and scoring once. The French side have yet to concede a goal in the league this season.