Chelsea have been left furious after Monaco pulled out of an agreement to sell Senegal international Lamine Camara to the London club for £47m.
Camara had been expected to join Chelsea on a six year contract, subject to a medical, but Monaco dramatically withdrew from the agreement after the 11pm transfer deadline had passed.
The French club informed Chelsea in writing that it would no longer proceed with the transfer, despite what Chelsea believed was a full written club to club agreement.
The dramatic collapse was linked to Monaco’s parallel negotiations with Everton over the sale of Folarin Balogun. Monaco had reportedly wanted to sell only one player and decided to proceed with Balogun after believing it had reached an agreement with Everton.
Balogun subsequently backed out of the Everton move at the last minute, but Monaco nevertheless pulled the plug on the Camara deal.
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Monaco refused to sign a Camara deal sheet before the 11pm deadline, effectively ending Chelsea’s hopes of completing the transfer.
Chelsea reportedly regarded Monaco’s conduct as extraordinary and deeply unprofessional, particularly because the two clubs had already agreed the terms of the transfer.
The situation was made more frustrating by the fact that Chelsea had considered pulling the plug on Enzo Fernandez’s move to Manchester City after the Camara deal collapsed but ultimately honoured its commitment to complete the transfer.
Roma midfielder Manu Kone had also been shortlisted as an alternative option, while Chelsea explored other midfield possibilities in the Premier League.
Chelsea reportedly believed that the Camara transfer was effectively completed, with the player expected to travel to London for his medical.
“My information is everything was done — written, agreed, signed. He was flying into London.”
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The collapse leaves Chelsea without the midfield replacement they had expected to secure before the deadline, while relations between the London club and Monaco are likely to be strained following the extraordinary late reversal.
The episode also highlights the risks of leaving major transfer business until the final hours of the transfer window, when even apparently completed deals can collapse before the necessary documentation is formally submitted.
For Chelsea, however, the biggest frustration is that they believed they had honoured their side of the agreement and were left without sufficient time to secure a replacement.
