Monaco midfielder Lamin Kamara has expressed his thoughts about the last-minute collapse of his move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day.
The Senegalese international confirmed that there was a genuine opportunity for a transfer, but now he is focused on making an impact at his current club.
Following the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, Chelsea eyed Kamara as the ideal replacement for the Argentine. Just hours before the window slammed shut, the Blues struck a deal with Monaco for a fee of €55 million. However, negotiations ultimately fell through.
Kamara reflected on the entire experience:
It was indeed a tense moment, but as you know, such things are part and parcel of being a professional footballer. I tried to remain professional and not dwell too much on it.
Did I want to leave? That question makes it seem like I wasn't focused on my team and living in the moment.
There was definitely a real chance to move to Chelsea, but at the last moment, it didn’t materialise. If I never get another shot at joining a big club in the future, it means I've given up or haven’t worked hard enough.
Football changes so quickly, and perhaps other opportunities will arise. Right now, I'm concentrating on what I can contribute to the team and this season with Monaco.
After the failed transfer, Kamara received support from his teammate and former Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria:
He’s always there for me and acts like an older brother. The day after everything happened, he spoke to me a lot about the transfer. He really helped me switch my focus back to the match against PSG. Having played for big clubs, he reassured me that such situations are part of football.
