Chelsea furious as Monaco pull plug on €55m Lamine Camara agreement

Updated: 1 Sept 2026 23:24 BST | 4 min read

Lamine Camara, Monaco, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Chelsea have been left dumbfounded and furious after AS Monaco pulled the plug on the Blues' deal to sign midfielder Lamine Camara.

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In a day full of twists and turns, it feels only right that the biggest surprise comes right at the end - and, of course, Chelsea are involved. The Stamford Bridge club were in dreamland not even two hours ago when they reached an agreement for their preferred Enzo Fernandez replacement.

With the Argentina international heading to Man City in a joint Premier League record transfer worth €145m, Chelsea felt the need to bolster their midfield. However, they struggled to convince AS Roma to sell Manu Kone and, initially, Monaco to part with Camara.

Current ETV

Lamine Camara

M, DM (C)

Monaco

Lamine Camara

M, DM (C)

Monaco

ETV Range

€26.9M - €32.8M

That all changed when Folarin Balogun's move from Monaco to Everton was on the verge of collapse after he reportedly failed his medical. The Ligue 1 side were in desperate need of a sale and thus went back to the negotiating table with Chelsea for Camara.

After previously demanding up to €70m for the Senegal international, Monaco accepted the €55m Chelsea had offered earlier in the afternoon, with Camara authorised to travel to London ahead of signing a six-year contract with the option for a further season.

Disaster strikes for Chelsea

Now, Chelsea and Camara have been left heartbroken. According to various reporters, including Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein, Monaco reneged on their agreement for the midfielder after renegotiating their deal with Everton for Balogun.

Although the transfer of the American striker was on the brink, it never fully collapsed, with the Toffees always insisting that they were still prepared to sign him - but only for a reduced fee.

With an agreement for Balogun in place, Monaco informed Chelsea that the deal for Camara was off. They no longer felt the need to offer up one of their most prized possessions at a cut-price fee.

Naturally, Chelsea are said to be furious and view the behaviour of the Ligue 1 side - with whom they previously shared a strong relationship - as deeply unprofessional. The Blues also argue that the agreement had already been signed off on.

Their protest appears to be in vain, however, with the transfer now considered dead in the water. They have been left empty-handed, while Fernandez will be unveiled by City shortly. The Argentine has already said his goodbyes to Chelsea on social media.