Chelsea will face continued competition in the race to sign Monaco star Lamine Camara. The Blues have identified Camara has a potential replacement for Enzo Fernandez amid continued speculation over the Argentina international’s future.
Fernandez was left out of Chelsea’s squad that faced Luton Town in the Carabao Cup and reports from Argentina suggested a deal had been agreed with Manchester City for the 25-year-old. However, as of Friday lunchtime, Stamford Bridge sources insisted there had been no direct club-to-club contact with City.
The Blues set a £120million price tag earlier in the summer but those terms were taken off the table earlier this month. Now, any exit would only be facilitated if Xabi Alonso can improve his squad.
Camara has emerged as a target, though it remains unclear if it is only in the event Fernandez departs the club. Crystal Palace have already seen a bid worth £30m rejected by Monaco.
The offer is some distance short of the Ligue 1 side’s valuation, with Monaco able to rely on interest from around the Premier League. Liverpool, Brighton and Nottingham Forest are also tracking the star, with a move expected.
The 22-year-old made 31 appearances for Monaco last term, and 40 appearances in 2024/25 and already has five goals in 37 international appearances for Senegal.
Lamine Camara is a target for Chelsea -Credit:Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images
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Chelsea face Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, when Alonso will be once again tasked with deciding whether to include Fernandez in his plans. Explaining his decision to leave the midfielder out on Thursday, 24 hours on from saying he would be included, Alonso question the star’s desire.
“No, I said we need the players that are in the best situation to play,” Alonso said. “We need to take everything into consideration – players that are in a good moment, players that are not feeling that energy to play.
“For me, it is very important they feel this desire to play and to have good preparation.”
Asked about his conversation with Fernandez, he said: “We talked and we decided for tonight it was better not to be part of the squad. He is a top player.”