Lamine Camara Focused on Monaco After Chelsea Move Collapse

Lamine Camara insists he has “turned the page” on his collapsed move to Chelsea and is locking in on Monaco’s fast-starting Ligue 1 campaign.

The 22-year-old midfielder had undergone a medical ahead of a proposed £47.1m switch to Stamford Bridge, only for the deal to fall apart in the frantic final hours of the transfer window.

Monaco had already knocked back two Chelsea offers before softening their stance late in the window, as the club juggled interest in both Camara and Folarin Balogun. With pressure building to bank a major sale, the French side were understood to favour moving on Balogun.

For a spell, it looked like that would open the door. Monaco lowered their asking price for Camara during a chaotic finale to the window, at the same time as Balogun’s transfer to Everton appeared to be in serious doubt.

Then the picture flipped again. Once Balogun’s move seemed back on course, Monaco appeared to cool on the idea of losing Camara as well. In the end, the window slammed shut with both players still in red and white.

“There was a possibility I could leave,” Camara said ahead of Monaco’s game against Strasbourg on Saturday. “It didn’t go through at the last minute and that’s part of football. I’ve turned the page and am focusing on the season.”

Inside the club, the message all summer had been clear: one big sale was needed. A source at Monaco had previously stressed it would take a “substantial fee” to prise Camara away, even as French reports suggested the hierarchy preferred to cash in on Balogun.

On the pitch, the noise has barely touched Monaco’s rhythm. They have opened the Ligue 1 season with three straight wins and went into the weekend second in the table behind Rennes, holding a game in hand.

“I can help the team a lot,” said the Senegal international. “Football moves fast. Maybe other opportunities will come along. But for now, I’m staying focused on the season with Monaco.”

The Premier League chance has gone, at least for now. The question is how far Camara can drive Monaco while it waits to come back around.