Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro has defended the club’s decision to pull out of Lamine Camara’s £47million Chelsea transfer, insisting the extraordinary deadline-day reversal was simply “part of the game”.
Chelsea believed they had secured the Senegal international after reaching a written agreement with Monaco, only for the Ligue 1 club to withdraw from the transfer.
The Blues were left furious by the decision, with Chelsea having already agreed to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m.
Scuro has now explained Monaco’s side of the story.
🚨🪖 Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro has claimed he doesn't want to "create a war" with Chelsea following the late collapse of deadline day for Lamine Camara.
(@RyanTaylorSport) #CFC pic.twitter.com/DR35TujAJU
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) September 2, 2026
Monaco explain Lamine Camara Chelsea collapse
Speaking at a press conference attended by Get French Football News, Scuro said Monaco had consistently planned to keep Camara throughout the summer.
Chelsea continued testing their stance and made another approach after Fernandez’s move to City had been agreed.
At that stage, Monaco were expecting Folarin Balogun to complete a transfer to Everton and still had no intention of selling Camara.
Everything changed when Everton raised concerns during Balogun’s medical.
Scuro said Chelsea spotted an opportunity once reports emerged that the Everton transfer was in difficulty, prompting Monaco to reopen negotiations over Camara.
He said: “Chelsea saw the opportunity”, before describing the subsequent negotiations as “part of the game”.
Chelsea eventually reached an agreement worth around £47m and believed the transfer was ready to proceed.
Balogun twist led Monaco to change Chelsea decision
The situation changed again when Everton became satisfied with Balogun’s medical situation and his transfer appeared to be back on.
Monaco then decided they could retain Camara.
The Guardian reports that Monaco subsequently withdrew from the Chelsea agreement, although Balogun ultimately chose not to complete his Everton move after becoming unhappy with how his medical had been handled.
That left both transfers collapsing.
Chelsea were particularly angered because their Camara deal had progressed as far as a written club-to-club agreement before Monaco pulled out.
Scuro nevertheless rejected suggestions Monaco should be portrayed as the villains of the saga.
He explained that his responsibility was to protect Monaco’s interests and said he did not want to create a conflict with Chelsea.
Camara therefore remains in France, while Chelsea begin life without Fernandez after failing to land a deadline-day replacement.
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