Monaco (AFP) – Lamine Camara "will be on the pitch 100%, he needs to play": his coach Filipe Luis sees no other remedy for his player, whose transfer from Monaco to Chelsea aborted at the last moment, than starting Friday against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc.
Published on: 03/09/2026 - 11:59
Since taking office, Luis has been a fan of Camara, one of his leaders whom he named vice-captains with the former Eric Dier and Lukas Hradecky.
“I’ve seen a lot in this position, he’s a special player,” explained the technician last week. Xabi Alonso, Chelsea's new strongman, thinks the same thing, he who flirted with the 22-year-old Senegalese international in the final hours of the transfer window.
Camara never remained indifferent to the idea of joining this great from London. He made this known to his management, while remaining professional and respectful of his coach, eager to continue with him.
Since June, the Monegasques had been clear with all potential suitors: the player cannot be transferred, except for an astronomical sum (70 million euros) or a last-minute unforeseen event.
-"Not the end of the world"-
When, on Tuesday evening, Everton expressed doubts about the physical capacity of Folarin Balogun, the American center forward, present in Liverpool to sign for the Toffees, this unexpected situation took shape.
“At that moment, we had to open the door to discussion with Chelsea for Lamine,” explains Monegasque general manager Thiago Scuro. “It was almost 8:00 p.m. I called the player directly, informed his agent. We discussed the conditions for Lamine to go to Chelsea.”
The three parties reached an agreement. But at the same time, "the deal concerning Bologun with Everton resumed and I then informed Chelsea of the end of negotiations for Lamine", maintains Scuro.
Offended by the situation, the player urged his manager to let him go. He came up against a veto which had the effect of a sledgehammer.
Wednesday morning, when training resumed, he showed nothing of it. But he has long mulled over the way in which the club had played with him.
"I can understand," Scuro slips. "He may have been excited by his conversation with the coach, by what a club like Chelsea can offer. We explained the reasons to him and will continue to work together. Given his mentality, his character, we expect to see him 100% in the next match. He is building his career. It's not the end of the world. It was an opportunity among others. He will soon have better offers."
-"An experience"-
Moreover, Monaco had originally only planned to let him leave next June, after three seasons at the club. “The reality is that we are very happy that he stays,” assures Scuro, joined by Luis for whom, “it is the best thing for the club.”
All that remains is to quickly vent your frustration. “With what happened, it’s certain that he has things in mind that could affect him,” Luis admits. “But it’s very easy to work with him.”
“My responsibility as a teammate is to be there for him,” says Eric Dier. “His situation is difficult, but quite common, with a complicated human aspect. But now we must move forward in the best way.”
“The worst thing would be to handle it differently,” continues the England international. “If it were me, it would annoy me if I was treated differently for that. The most respectful thing is to continue working in the same way. He is young but focused and mature. He must take the positive: one more experience in his career.”
"All the clubs are looking at him," Luis concludes. "If he doesn't change, he will become better. Then the big guys from Europe will come. Because he is an elite player. What makes him happy is playing. Which he will do from Friday."
© 2026 AFP
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