Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images
Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images
Chelsea came up short in their pursuit of Lamine Camara on transfer deadline day.
Chelsea thought they had Lamine Camara in the bag on deadline day. They’d agreed on a £47 million fee with Monaco, sorted out a six-year contract, and even put the 22-year-old through his medical.
Then Monaco pulled the plug. Monaco only agreed to sell because Folarin Balogun’s move to Everton was stalling. The second Everton got that transfer back on track, Monaco backed out of the Chelsea deal to hold onto Camara.
Chelsea were left furious. Having already sold Enzo Fernandez to City for £125 million, they’re now stranded without a proper replacement, leaving them reliant on Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Reece James to plug the gaps until January.
Filipe Luis predicts more clubs will come in for Lamine Camara
In an interview after the transfer window shut, Filipe Luis shared how the transfer collapse has affected Lamine Camara, but he’s tipping him to get a big move in the future.
He said: “Probably, with everything, there is something in his mind that is affected. But, honestly, he is a special kid; he is a very special person. It is easy to work with him.
“The football world knows about Lamine. Other clubs are looking at him. If he just maintains [his level], it won’t just be one club – all the big clubs will come for him.”
Chelsea’s midfield options in wake of Lamine Camara collapse
Collapsing that deal leaves Chelsea’s midfield looking alarmingly thin. Selling Enzo Fernandez to City for £125 million without bringing in a replacement means Moises Caicedo is carrying a massive burden.
Romeo Lavia is brilliant when healthy, but his injury track record makes relying on him a massive gamble.
Jordan Henderson brings leadership, but he isn’t playing 90 minutes twice a week anymore. Pushing full-backs like Reece James, Valentin Barco, or Malo Gusto into the middle can patch over the cracks for a few games, but expecting them to run the engine room until January is a serious risk.