Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
Well, there we have it. Lamine Camara has remained at Monaco, and Filipe Luis has got his wish, after sporting director Thiago Scuro pulled the plug on the midfielder’s move to Chelsea.
It has completely backfired for Monaco. After days of difficult negotiations in which Camara’s move was on, then off, and then on again, it looked as if the 22-year-old would finally end up at Stamford Bridge.
Monaco needed one big sale. After Folarin Balogun’s medical at Everton ran into complications, it looked as if Camara would join Chelsea. A late £47m deal was agreed and the midfielder was due to go.
But Everton revived their bid for Balogun, and it saw Scuro make the decision to cancel Camara’s move, halfway through his Chelsea medical. Camara stayed, and then Balogun turned down the Everton deal.
READ MORE:Liverpool’s late call to Camara’s camp and Monaco that could have been a ‘factor’
A crazy situation that has completely backfired on Monaco
Chelsea are not impressed with Monaco. Given how advanced the deal was, with written contracts drawn up between the Blues and the Ligue 1 side, the decision to back out has been deemed ‘unprofessional’.
Camara isn’t happy; he was keen to join Chelsea. Now, Monaco aren’t happy either because Scuro’s decision to opt out of green-lighting Camara’s move has backfired, with Balogun turning Everton down.
Liverpool FC v AS Monaco - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
It sees Monaco fail to bring in the funds they needed, and journalist Romain Molina highlights just how bad the situation is for the French club. He describes it as a “miracle” if Scuro remains sporting director.
“If Thiago Scuro keeps his position after this, it’s an absolute miracle because there’s €50m missing from the accounts. He has literally ruined Camara by letting him go, only to cancel the transfer two hours later.”
Chelsea’s act of professionalism could end up costing them
It is claimed Chelsea had the chance to pull the plug on Enzo Fernandez’s British-record-equalling £125m move to Man City, with Camara no longer joining. But they stuck to their word and pressed the trigger.
Chelsea's possession vs Brighton
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Unlike Monaco, Chelsea acted with professionalism and put the player above their own needs. They did not treat the players like commodities – which has been a criticism of BlueCo’s ownership at Chelsea.
Fernandez has gone, and Chelsea are left without a replacement. So, what is the state of their midfield now? Well, they have Moises Caicedo, Valentino Barco, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson and Reece James.
Caicedo and Henderson are injured, James is no stranger to injury, and Lavia is yet to complete a full 90 minutes competitively for the Blues. Barco remains unproven at Premier League level and is yet to start.
Obviously, Chelsea are not in Europe, and despite the injuries, they should have enough to cope with one game a week. But failing to get Camara leaves a sour taste in the mouth given the current injury issues.