Chelsea agree £39m deal to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco

Chelsea agree £39m deal to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with AS Monaco to sign midfielder Lamine Camara for €45 million (£39m) including bonuses, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri . However, an agreement on the payment schedule and a few bonuses has to be reached before the deal can be concluded. Camara featured in Monaco’s Ligue 1 clash with Marseille on Sunday evening, suggesting the move is yet to be completed. The 22-year-old has also been offered to Liverpool, but it is understood that the Reds are unlikely to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window. Chelsea are looking to sign a midfielder, with Enzo Fernandez pushing to join Manchester City before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. Fernandez was left out of the squad for the second consecutive game as Chelsea beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. They were previously linked with Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott , but were unsuccessful in their pursuit. Camara will not be a like-for-like replacement for Fernandez, although he shares some similar attributes with the Argentina international. Fernandez is more of a controlling deep-lying midfielder, while Camara is more dynamic; he can cover a lot of ground, influence different phases of play, and is also aggressive. Camara could play alongside Moises Caicedo in a double pivot should he complete a move to Chelsea, although he could face stiff competition for a starting berth. The midfielder started his career with Senegalese club Generation Foot before joining Metz in 2023. He moved to Monaco a year later in a €15m (£13m) deal. Camara has featured in 75 matches across all competitions for the French side, registering six goals and 11 assists.