Lamine Camara refocuses on Monaco after £47.1m Chelsea move collapses

Lamine Camara says his attention is back on Monaco's season after a proposed £47.1 million transfer to Chelsea collapsed shortly before the transfer window closed. BBC Sport reported on Saturday that the 22-year-old Senegal midfielder had completed a medical before the move fell through, leaving him with the Ligue 1 club after a late change in the negotiations.

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Speaking before Monaco's match against Strasbourg, Camara acknowledged that a departure had been possible but said he had moved on from the outcome. He described the last-minute collapse as part of football and made clear that his immediate focus was contributing to Monaco. His comments addressed a transfer that had advanced beyond initial bids without ultimately being completed.

According to the BBC's account, Monaco had rejected two offers before reducing their asking price during a complicated close to the window. That change came when Folarin Balogun's proposed move to Everton appeared to be in doubt. Camara's potential departure was therefore being negotiated while the club was also dealing with uncertainty over another possible outgoing transfer.

When Balogun's move appeared to be progressing again, Monaco appeared to reverse their decision to sell Camara, the BBC reported. Neither deal was eventually completed, and both players remained at Monaco. The report attributed the club's need for a major summer sale, and its preference to sell Balogun, to sources in France. A source at Monaco had previously indicated that Camara would only leave for a substantial fee.

Camara did not rule out other opportunities arising in future, but his comments offered no commitment to another move. Instead, he said he could make a significant contribution to his current team and was concentrating on the season with Monaco. The Senegal international has made 55 appearances for the club, according to the BBC's report.

Monaco entered the weekend having won all three of their opening Ligue 1 matches. They stood second behind Rennes with a game in hand. Camara's remarks came before Saturday's Strasbourg fixture, with the midfielder still part of the squad after the unsuccessful Chelsea negotiations.