A deal worth more than 50 million has gone up in smoke
Chelsea ended up living two nights in one. First came the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, wrapped up at around 146 million euros, six more than the opening price set by the London club. The Blues held firm for weeks and the Sky Blues eventually coughed up.
That left the problem of replacing the Argentine. Two names were on the table in the final stretch: Manu Kone and Lamine Camara. Kone was not against a move to London, but Gian Piero Gasperini shut that one down at AS Roma. That left the path clear for Monaco’s Senegalese midfielder.
An agreement was reached late in the evening, for a fee above 50 million euros. Camara was due to sign a six-year contract. Everything was lined up.
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The late twist
Then Monaco changed its mind. Minutes before the English window slammed shut, the club from the Principality kept hold of its player and the deal collapsed. Chelsea were left without a midfielder, with 146 million in the bank and a gaping hole in the middle of the pitch.
And here’s the awkward bit: according to several British outlets, that late U-turn could have thrown Enzo Fernandez’s move to City into doubt. The London hierarchy backed their word anyway. From Stamford Bridge, that only makes the whole mess harder to swallow.
The English press slams the Principality club
On Wednesday morning, the Telegraph, The Sun and the Daily Mail all told the same story. Chelsea believe Monaco behaved badly and have branded it “extremely unprofessional”. Blues officials say they were stunned by the way the night ended.
Beyond the anger of the moment, there is a real cost. Relationships between clubs are built on deals that get done, and Chelsea are used to dipping into Ligue 1. Monaco keep their midfielder, but they may find the next English buyer taking a long way round.
Camara, meanwhile, is back in training at a club he thought he would be leaving by the end of the night before.
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