Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
It is the summer of 2022 and Chelsea have agreed a smart-looking loan deal for Denis Zakaria. A year later, and Lamine Camara’s teammate is considered one of the worst signings of the BlueCo era.
Zakaria, 29, played just 11 games for Chelsea during the 2022-23 season and returned to Juventus. After struggling at Juventus the season beforehand, he was on the move again – this time joining AS Monaco.
After his career had fallen by the wayside, Zakaria has resurrected himself in the red and white of Monaco. A large stint of his three years with Monaco, of whom he captains, has been alongside Lamine Camara.
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What Denis Zakaria told Lamine Camara about Chelsea
Fast forward to the final day of the summer window, and it looked as if Chelsea were about to replace Enzo Fernandez with Camara. A £47m deal was agreed, and Camara was halfway through his medical.
Indeed, that is how late it was before Monaco pulled the plug. Camara stayed put and since then, Chelsea have struggled in midfield to the point that even having Zakaria back at Stamford Bridge would be a plus.
After Monaco’s 2-1 win over Lens on Friday night, Zakaria admitted he tried to sabotage Camara’s move to Chelsea: “Chelsea? I told him that it was good but that it is better here. I know the player.
“I know the person that he is; he is very professional. I think that [the transfer saga] has given him even more strength. He was incredible today,” Zakaria continued, explaining how Camara has got even better.
Denis Zakaria was not the best person to ask about Chelsea
If Camara thought he was going to get a glowing portrayal of Chelsea from a player that had largely been ousted during his time in West London, then he was wrong. Zakaria was only going to give one opinion.
However, Camara was willing to undergo a medical at Chelsea. Clearly, he did not pay much attention to Zakaria’s verdict on Xabi Alonso’s side and wanted to complete a move in the final hours of the window.
Chelsea remain interested in Camara, but the Blues won’t have as good a chance as they did back in the summer, when it comes to nabbing his signature. Liverpool, among others, are supposedly interested.