Xabi Alonso applauds the Chelsea supporters at the end of a game
Xabi Alonso applauds the Chelsea supporters at the end of a game
Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Chelsea ‘will return’ to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco, with the Blues tipped to hold an advantage over Liverpool in the pursuit of the midfielder.
The Blues saw Enzo Fernandez join Manchester City for a British record fee of £125m on deadline day, reducing their midfield options.
Chelsea urgently needed to replace the Argentine in midfield and were keen on securing Camara from Monaco.
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The Ligue 1 side were also working on completing a deal for Folarin Balogun, who looked set to join Everton.
Balogun failed a medical with the Toffees on deadline day, which seemed to point to his move to Everton collapsing and as such, Monaco agreed to sell Camara to Chelsea.
Everton though managed to negotiate a lower fee for Balogun and, with Monaco thinking that deal was happening, they then cancelled the sale of Camara to Chelsea.
Chelsea were left angered by the development as they had a written agreement for Camara, which Monaco decided to rip up.
Signing Fee
Morgan Rogers £117m
Maxence Lacroix £52m
Marco Palestra £47m
Geovany Quenda £43m
Valentin Barco £34m
After the deadline day fiasco, Chelsea were unable to sign the Senegalese and had already lost Fernandez to Manchester City.
Camara remains at Monaco and is expected to draw big interest in January, with Liverpool also a potential destination.
According to Senegalese journalist El Hadji Loum, Chelsea ‘will return’ for Camara and the Blues hold an advantage over Liverpool in the race for his signature.
It has been suggested that despite the 22-year-old coming close to joining Chelsea before the transfer window closed, his relationship with Monaco has remained intact.
It has been further suggested that the midfielder will remain professional with the Ligue 1 side until the very end.
Chelsea are sure to now keep a close eye on Camara’s progress at Monaco over the coming months and it remains to be seen if they will go back for him, or face competition from Liverpool.
Liverpool did not sign a new defensive midfielder in the summer transfer window.