“The clubs were playing with fire, and in the end, they got burned,” described one insider, summarising the chaotic events during the final hours of the transfer window. A night of drama involving Folarin Balogun, Everton, Monaco, Lamin Kamara, and Chelsea ended with all parties walking away as losers.
22-year-old Senegalese holding midfielder Lamin Kamara was seen by Chelsea as a direct replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who made a record £125 million move to Manchester City. However, the Monaco hierarchy had consistently rebuffed offers for their star midfielder throughout the window.
“I’ve been in negotiations with them for the last 10 days,” revealing Monaco’s sporting director Tiago Scuro. “At around 16:00 BST on deadline day, Chelsea reached out again, and the response remained the same: a firm ‘no’.
Monaco had shifted their focus to selling US international forward Folarin Balogun to Everton for £40 million, allowing him to travel to Liverpool. It appeared all boxes were ticked: Kamara agreed to stay at Monaco, and Chelsea had resigned themselves to their current squad just three hours before the deadline after unsuccessful attempts to secure both Kamara and Koudis Manu Kone from Roma.
Deadline panic: contract until 2033 and a shocking turn
The situation flipped dramatically when Balogun encountered unforeseen issues during a medical at Everton.
“Of course, Chelsea quickly sensed their opportunity,” Scuro elaborated. “The logic was simple: Monaco desperately needed funds, Balogun’s deal was collapsing, let’s strike while the iron was hot. They called and said: ‘Perhaps we can be your solution’. At that critical moment, we had no choice but to reopen negotiations.”
By 20:00 BST, talks had resumed, and soon both clubs reached an agreement for Kamara’s transfer at £47 million. Chelsea acted swiftly: the Senegalese completed a last-minute medical, met with manager Xabi Alonso, and signed a long-term contract until 2033. The Blues didn’t even require an extension from the Premier League, as all documents were submitted on time.
However, an unexpected twist followed. Everton, struggling to find alternative forwards, re-engaged in their pursuit of Balogun just minutes before the deadline and agreed to terms. Upon hearing this news, Monaco unilaterally blocked the Kamara transfer. Scuro cynically remarked:
As soon as we got the signal from Everton, we went back to Chelsea and said the deal was off. It’s only fair; that’s football.
Chelsea’s hierarchy erupted in frustration: the London club were incensed not only by the broken agreement but also by Monaco’s cold notification via email, refusing to explain the decision over the phone.
Balogun’s exit from Finch Farm and Monaco’s financial deadlock
Monaco was convinced that submitting Balogun’s transfer paperwork five minutes before the 23:00 BST deadline would secure their sale and save the club from UEFA financial control sanctions. They needed to raise €150 million, yet only €106 million had been achieved by that point.
However, hours into Wednesday morning, yet another scandal erupted: Balogun abruptly changed his mind, offended by the treatment from Everton’s medical staff, and dramatically left the Finch Farm training ground without signing. Consequently, the French club found themselves with nothing—no cash from Balogun and no compensation for Kamara. Scuro confirmed that Monaco will now try to sell surplus players to leagues where the transfer window remains open.
Kamara, who has recorded six goals and 11 assists in 75 appearances for Monaco, has returned to training and is preparing for Friday's match against PSG. Liverpool also maintains an interest in the Senegalese midfielder for future transfers.
Questions for Chelsea and depth issues under the 3-4-3 system
Chelsea had a legal avenue to block or annul Fernandez's move to Manchester City but opted against it for professional reasons. The club has stated that there is no sense of panic; however, the lack of options in midfield is glaring: both Moises Caicedo and newcomer Jordan Henderson are sidelined through injury. Due to the injuries to key players, Xabi Alonso was forced to deploy right-back Malo Gusto in midfield during the match against Brighton (which ended 4-3), where Chelsea commanded just 25.6% possession, marking a club low since the 2003/04 season.
Nevertheless, Chelsea concluded the window with a record profit while also strengthening key positions. Below is the current depth of Chelsea’s squad of 27 players under the tactical 3-4-3 scheme as they head into their match against Arsenal (new signings highlighted in green):
