Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, who is expected to fill the void left by Enzo Fernandez should the west London club complete his departure to Manchester City, according to talkSPORT.

The 22-year-old Senegalese international carries a price tag of between £50 million and £60 million this summer. Chelsea, meanwhile, expect to recoup at least £120 million from Fernandez's sale — double what they would spend to land Camara.

Liverpool have also been offered Camara as a late transfer window option, and both Premier League clubs were approached by Monaco with the midfielder available. Chelsea, however, have emerged as the frontrunners, with Liverpool yet to make a concrete move.

Monaco rejected Crystal Palace's offer

Crystal Palace saw a verbal bid of £35 million knocked back by Monaco earlier this month. Personal terms between Chelsea and Camara are not expected to pose any difficulty once a fee is agreed between the two clubs.

Fernandez's own move is understood to be entering its final stages, with the Argentine edging closer to a reunion with his former manager Enzo Maresca at Manchester City — even as Chelsea publicly denied that formal negotiations have begun. The Blues had previously set August 14 as a deadline for interested parties to match their £120 million valuation, yet speculation around his future intensified after he was left out of their Carabao Cup win over Luton Town.

A product of Generation Foot

Camara's journey to the top of European football is a compelling one. He came through the celebrated Generation Foot academy in Senegal — the same institution that launched the careers of Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr — before moving to France in February 2023.

He proved instrumental in Metz's promotion to Ligue 1 during the 2023/24 season, a campaign that earned him the African Young Player of the Year award and attracted Monaco's attention. The French Riviera club brought him in for €15 million from Metz in the summer of 2024, and Camara quickly established himself at the core of their midfield in his debut season.

Should the deal go through, Chelsea would be adding a proven African talent at the peak of his development — a midfielder shaped by one of the continent's finest academies and sharpened by top-flight French football.