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

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, suggesting the move is not yet complete.

The 22-year-old has also been offered to Liverpool, but they 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.

Fernandez is 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 if he completes a move to Chelsea, although he would 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 club, registering six goals and 11 assists.