Camara sold then retained, Balogun refuses Everton: Monaco's surreal transfer window

AS Monaco closed the summer transfer window with its entire squad, after a night of negotiations that successively saw Lamine Camara’s sale to Chelsea validated then cancelled, and Folarin Balogun leave Everton’s training ground without signing.

It all started in midfield. Brilliant since the restart, Lamine Camara attracted the attention of Chelsea, who submitted an offer of €55 million. The Monaco board, initially uncompromising, eventually gave in — on one condition: that Folarin Balogun’s departure to Everton be finalized in parallel. The American striker has a release clause, but his medical examination at Everton raised concerns that temporarily suspended the deal.

The situation changed late in the evening. Everton, under pressure to strengthen its attack before the market closed, reopened negotiations and reached an agreement with Monaco on a revised amount, estimated between €40 and €45 million. With this deal in place, the principality club immediately reversed course on Camara: the sale to Chelsea was simply cancelled. Chelsea reacted harshly, with its executives publicly denouncing Monaco’s “amateur” and “unprofessional” attitude.

But the final word belonged to Balogun himself. The former Reims striker categorically refused to join Everton, left Finch Farm training ground without signing his contract and rendered hours of negotiations pointless. Monaco, which had sacrificed the sale of its prospect to secure this transfer, ended up with both players on its hands.

Sportingly, ASM preserves its assets: Camara stays, Balogun too. But the club emerges from this final sprint with seriously damaged relationships with Chelsea and Everton, and two delicate individual situations to manage — a midfielder who came close to a €55 million transfer, and a striker whose status in the squad looks complicated.