Chelsea’s plan to replace Enzo Fernandez with Lamine Camara collapsed at the final hour, leaving the club without their intended midfield recruit after Monaco pulled the plug on a £47.1m deal.
Camara completed his medical in France on Tuesday evening and Chelsea expected the 22-year-old Senegal international to complete his move before the transfer window closed at 4:00am Bangladesh time.
Instead, Monaco informed Chelsea in writing that they would not proceed with the transfer.
Chelsea say Monaco offered no explanation for the late reversal. Sources familiar with the situation, however, told BBC Sport that they believe Everton’s proposed move for United States international Folarin Balogun influenced Monaco’s decision.
Chelsea had already sanctioned Fernandez’s joint-British record £125m move to Manchester City, expecting Camara to arrive as his replacement.
The Blues had struggled to reach an agreement with Monaco earlier in the window. The Ligue 1 club rejected two Chelsea bids before lowering their asking price after fresh doubts emerged over Balogun’s move to Everton.
That development appeared to change Monaco’s position.
Sources in France had reported that Monaco needed to make a major sale this summer and preferred to move Balogun rather than Camara. The club had previously indicated that Chelsea would need to pay a “substantial fee” to take Camara away.
Camara played in Monaco’s 2-0 win over Marseille on Sunday, while Balogun did not feature.
When Balogun’s proposed Everton move came under renewed doubt, Monaco reduced their demands for Camara. Chelsea then pushed through an agreement worth around £47m and moved ahead with the midfielder’s medical.
But the situation changed again once Balogun’s transfer appeared to regain momentum.
Monaco subsequently appeared to reverse their decision and retain Camara, leaving Chelsea furious and scrambling after the deadline.
The collapse creates an unexpected problem for Chelsea. The club had prepared for Fernandez’s departure by pursuing Camara, only to lose both midfielders in separate deals within the same transfer window.
Camara will now remain at Monaco, while Chelsea must assess their midfield options after losing one of their most expensive signings and failing to complete the replacement they had lined up.
