Enzo Fernández replacement? Why Chelsea must finalise Lamine Camara transfer before deadline

Chelsea are ramping up their pursuit of AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline on September 1. Camara is understood to be waiting for the green light from his club to fly from Nice to London after an initial offer of €40 million was knocked back on Saturday, per RMC Sport. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue, with the west London club ready to hand Camara a long-term contract if a deal can be agreed, but the French club are demanding €60m.

The need to bring in the 22-year-old has increased after Moisés Caicedo suffered a setback in the 4-3 win over Brighton. Manager Xabi Alonso has made no secret of his desire to add one new signing before the end of the summer transfer window and that need has only been made more urgent by Enzo Fernández's situation.

The Argentinian playmaker, 25, has missed their last two matches against Luton Town and Brighton, with Alonso admitting he can only include players in the squad who are committed to Chelsea. However, Camara is not expected to be signed as a direct replacement for Fernández, meaning two players could arrive if he is sold.

Defensive issues hamper Alonso

Despite adding Maxence Lacroix to their backline, Chelsea have already conceded five goals this season in just two league games and have gone a club-record 18 games without a clean sheet in the Premier League, carried over from last season. Alonso has brought in the experienced goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to address that problem after Robert Sanchez's calamitous performance against Fulham, with the Spaniard now set to leave.

But that alone isn't enough. With Caicedo facing an anxious wait over his injury and Fernandez eager to join Manchester City, Chelsea are missing the spine of their midfield - and the defence are being exposed by it. Chelsea had just 26 per cent possession in that Brighton win, the lowest recorded amount when they have won a Premier League match. It seems to work for Alonso's men, showing their threat on the counter, but it's not sustainable in the long-term or against top sides like Arsenal. The Blues simply need to keep the ball better - and that's where Camara comes in.

What can Lamine Camara bring to Chelsea?

A tireless box-to-box operator, the Senegalese midfielder has room for improvement but his stock is constantly on the up. His market value has risen from €15m to €40m in the space of two years after joining Monaco from Metz back in 2024. In total, he's scored six goals and created 11 assists in 76 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, which highlights his attacking contributions too. Much like Caicedo, Camara has a tendency to shoot from range and find the target more often than not.

Dario Essugo is likely to leave on loan, which would leave Chelsea extremely short of numbers in the central midfield area if Caicedo's injury is serious. Malo Gusto was deployed alongside Romeo Lavia on Sunday, although Reece James is the favoured choice out of the two to partner Lavia. It's clear another body is needed if Chelsea are to stop leaking goals through their midfield. Camara might just be their man, but the clock is ticking.