“I Don’t Want To Create A War” - Monaco Chief Sends Chelsea Transfer Message Over Lamine Camara | OneFootball

A frantic summer window came to an end in the most dramatic fashion for Chelsea.

In the aftermath of the deadline-day drama involving Chelsea, Everton and AS Monaco on Tuesday, September 1, the sporting director of the Ligue 1 side has jumped to the defence of his club.

Following the collapse of moves for both Florian Balogun and Lamine Camara, AS Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro has had plenty of explaining to do after one of the biggest transfer controversies in recent history unfolded.

Everton were set to sign American forward Florian Balogun, but the deal collapsed earlier in the day after a medical issue was flagged. Monaco and Everton then re-entered talks to find a solution, but Everton were unable to find an alternative striker.

While the two sides were locked in negotiations, Monaco informed the bosses at Stamford Bridge that any potential deal for Camara was off, despite the clubs having a written agreement.

By cancelling the proposed deal for Camara, Monaco effectively handed Everton a free run at closing the deal for the USMNT forward. However, as the deadline passed, Monaco were informed that the deal had collapsed entirely.

Camara was set to join the Blues in a £47 million deal, but Monaco went back on their agreement beyond the 11pm deadline on September 1, leaving Chelsea furious with their deeply unprofessional conduct.

Scuro, Monaco’s sporting director, told reporters his perspective on the proceedings, revealing that Chelsea had been talking to the club for at least 10 days in an attempt to get the Senegalese midfielder to Stamford Bridge.

Scuro insisted: “My intention here, as always, is to work and protect AS Monaco. I don’t want to create a war with Chelsea.”

The west London club likely won’t be sharing the same sentiments. Despite sanctioning Enzo Fernandez’s exit to Manchester City in a £125m move, Chelsea could have pulled out of the deal but chose to honour their word to Man City and Fernandez.

Another midfielder, Dario Essugo, has also completed his loan move to Strasbourg despite any potential knock-on effect from the transfer drama.

Despite being a midfielder short, Chelsea believe they have come out of the window stronger than they entered it. Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson and Valentín Barco are viewed as natural midfielders, while Reece James is now seen more as a midfielder under Alonso’s 3-4-3 system.

An emergency option in Malo Gusto has also been tested at least once, leaving Chelsea with a minimum of five options for a position that requires two starters each week.

With no European football, Chelsea may have gotten off lightly, with the volume of games dramatically reduced. However, with injury doubts hovering over Caicedo, midfield looks to be one position the club have left considerably weakened.

Questions also remain over just how much both Lavia and James can contribute given their injury histories. The depth may look strong on paper, but one setback could quickly have a knock-on impact.