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11 September 2026

Lamine Camara (22) has said he has “turned the page” after his proposed move to Chelsea collapsed on transfer deadline day. The AS Monaco midfielder also rejected suggestions that he wanted to leave the Principality club during the summer.

Camara was close to joining Chelsea on deadline day, and an agreement had even been reached between the Premier League club and Monaco. However, when Folarin Balogun appeared set to complete a transfer to Everton, Monaco pulled back from the arrangement. The USMNT international’s move to Merseyside then fell through after the transfer window shut. As a result, both players remained at the Stade Louis II.

Speaking the day after the transfer window closed, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro gave his account of what happened and said that, at that point, Camara had asked the club to help complete his move to Stamford Bridge. In a press conference, Camara looked back on the dramatic final hours of the transfer window.

“It’s true that it was a hectic moment, but as you know, that is part of being a professional footballer. I tried to be professional and not think too much about it. I tried to turn the page and focus on PSG,” said Camara. “Did I want to leave? That makes you think that I wasn’t living in the present with the team. There was the possibility [of me joining Chelsea]. At the last minute, it didn’t happen […] if another chance [to leave for a big club] doesn’t come up, it is because I threw in the towel or didn’t work hard enough. Football moves quickly and maybe other chances will come. For now, I am focused on what I can bring and on the season at Monaco.”

Camara also said he spoke with teammates about the episode the following day, especially former Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria. “He is always there, always in his leadership role as a big brother. He spoke to me a lot the day after about what happened with the transfer. They helped me a lot to focus on the match versus PSG. Denis has played at top clubs; he says that these things happen.”