Lamine Camara Focuses on Monaco After Chelsea Transfer Collapse

Lamine Camara insists he has “turned the page” on a dramatic collapsed move to Chelsea and is locking back in on Monaco’s Ligue 1 campaign.

The 22-year-old midfielder had gone as far as completing a medical ahead of a £47.1m switch to Stamford Bridge, only for the transfer to fall apart in the final hours of the window.

Two earlier Chelsea bids had already been rejected, with Monaco holding out for a sizeable fee. As the clock ticked down, the French side softened their stance during a chaotic end to the market, complicated by uncertainty over Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton.

For a spell, it looked as though Camara would be the one sacrificed. Monaco, according to sources in France, needed at least one major sale this summer and were understood to prefer cashing in on Balogun. A source at the club had previously stressed it would take a “substantial fee” to prise Camara away.

When Balogun’s transfer to Everton appeared to be back on, Monaco seemed ready to change course and keep their Senegal international midfielder. In the end, the plot twisted once more: both Balogun and Camara stayed put.

“There was a possibility I could leave,” Camara said ahead of Monaco’s clash with 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.”

Monaco have started that season with intent. Three wins from three have pushed them into second place behind Rennes, with a game in hand going into the weekend, and Camara believes he can be a driving force in maintaining that momentum.

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

The Premier League door has closed for now. The question is how long Camara can keep it shut if he powers Monaco into a genuine title push.