Chelsea pick Enzo Fernandez replacement: €60m Lamine Camara talks confirmed

28 Aug 2026 07:43 BST | 4 min read

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Chelsea are in negotiations to sign Lamine Camara as a replacement for the potentially departing Enzo Fernandez.

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The Blues have reportedly struck a deal worth €140 million that will see the 2022 World Cup winner leave Stamford Bridge to join Manchester City.

Although the Blues have already recruited Valentin Barco from Strasbourg to bolster their midfield options, they will also seek to sign Camara before of the close of the transfer window next Tuesday, according to Sacha Tavolieri.

Current ETV

Lamine Camara

M, DM (C)

Monaco

Lamine Camara

M, DM (C)

Monaco

ETV Range

€29.9M - €36.5M

“AS Monaco and Chelsea Football Club are negotiating tonight the arrival of Lamine Camara with a view to replacing Enzo Fernandez,” the Sky Sport transfer expert posted on X on Thursday.

“Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro is leading the negotiations right now with the intention of concluding the sale around €60m within the next 48 hours.”

Ben Jacobs confirms that Camara has been offered to Chelsea and Liverpool after Crystal Palace had a bid rejected.

Camara came through the Generation Foot academy in Senegal, which has produced numerous leading talents, including Sadio Mane, Pape Matar Sarr and Ismaila Sarr, all of whom were initially introduced to European football via the club’s relationship with Metz.

The 22-year-old followed that route before joining Monaco in a €15 million deal in the summer of 2024.

He has gone on to play more than 70 matches with the Stade Louis II side, including 15 in the Champions League.

Lamine Camara: The ultimate athlete who can offer Chelsea a new dimension

Camara is the ultimate athlete in the centre of the field. SciSports’ data indicates that he is both fast and has considerably higher stamina levels compared to the average Ligue 1 central midfielder, and in a league noted for its physicality, this is impressive.

Beyond his impressive physicality, he is a similar type of player to Enzo, though offers more of a link between the defence and midfield. His passing also tends to be a little more ambitious, which is reflected in higher assist numbers, he but also posts strong counter-interception numbers, showing that he can have an impact at both ends of the field.

© SciSports - Lamine Camara vs Enzo Fernandez, Style Comparison

© SciSports - Lamine Camara vs Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Stats Comparison

In terms of his playing style, he resembles Enzo more than Moises Caicedo, yet he has attributes of a ball-winning midfielder that neither of Chelsea’s current central players boasts.

Camara is the type of player who could balance out the heart of the field and provide a stable platform for Xabi Alonso to construct his team around, which would help the Blues justify spending so much on a player whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €33.2m.