Camara admits Chelsea move could resurface after Monaco's £47m deadline-day U-turn

Lamine Camara has acknowledged that a move away from Monaco could materialise in the future, ten days after a £47 million deal to join Chelsea collapsed in dramatic fashion on transfer deadline day.

The 22-year-old Senegal midfielder was the subject of two offers from Chelsea before Monaco made a last-minute U-turn to keep him, a decision that coincided with the club’s negotiations over Folarin Balogun’s prospective £42.5 million move to Everton. Concerns that emerged during Camara’s medical tests had reportedly prompted Monaco to reduce their asking price, yet ultimately neither player left the principality.

Speaking at a Monaco press conference on Friday, Camara described the episode as unsettling but said he had quickly refocused. “It was a somewhat turbulent and difficult time,” he said. “But that’s part of a player’s life. I tried to remain professional, avoid dwelling on it, and move on so I could quickly focus on the upcoming match in Paris.”

When pressed on whether he had wanted to join Chelsea, Camara was careful with his words. “Saying that now would imply I’m no longer fully present with the team,” he said. “Yes, there was a possibility I might leave, but it didn’t happen at the last minute. These things happen — look at the example of Julian Alvarez with Atletico Madrid. It happens all over the world, and I’m trying to turn the page as quickly as possible to focus on the season.”

On the prospect of future interest from other clubs, Camara left the door open. “If it doesn’t come back around, it will be because I gave up or didn’t work hard enough,” he said. “Football moves fast, and perhaps other chances will arise. But for now, I’m staying focused on the season.”

Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro defended the club’s handling of the situation after the window closed. “There is no deal on Lamine because it’s also fair to do this — it’s also part of the game,” Scuro said. “There’s no reason that this kind of discussion on the last day of the transfer window becomes the bad guys in the room, that Monaco is not fair, Monaco is not right. Everybody is very fair and nice in the football industry, just Monaco is not too much — so this is the storytelling.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, did complete a significant piece of business before the window shut, selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City after weeks of negotiations.