Camara breaks silence on £47m Chelsea move that collapsed on deadline day

Lamine Camara has addressed his failed £47m move to Chelsea for the first time, admitting the collapse of the deadline-day deal was a turbulent period but insisting he has moved on and remains fully committed to Monaco.

Chelsea had agreed terms with the Ligue 1 club on the final day of the summer window, only for the deal to unravel late in the evening. Monaco blocked the transfer after Folarin Balogun’s expected switch to Everton also fell through, leaving the principality club unwilling to lose two key players simultaneously.

“It was a somewhat turbulent and difficult time,” Camara 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. Once it was over, there was no point thinking about it.”

The Senegal international was careful not to confirm outright that he had wanted the move, conscious of how it might be perceived by his teammates. “Did I want to go to Chelsea? 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 Atlético Madrid. It happens all over the world, and I’m trying to turn the page as quickly as possible to focus on the season.”

Camara had been identified by Chelsea as a direct replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who completed a high-profile move to Manchester City during the same window.

Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro shed further light on the sequence of events after the window closed, explaining that Chelsea had been in contact for around ten days before the deadline. “We started to open negotiations with Chelsea for Lamine. I informed the player directly myself,” Scuro said. “What happened was that around 10pm our time, Everton confirmed there was no problem with Balogun’s medical. As soon as we got that information, we came back to Chelsea and told them there was no deal on Lamine. It’s also fair to do this — it’s part of the game.”

Camara, for his part, has not closed the door on a future move but is refusing to let speculation distract him. “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.”