Chelsea have clinched a deal with Monaco for midfielder Lamine Camara.
An improved £47 million offer, roughly €54 million, was accepted just before the 11 pm BST deadline.
Camara has signed a six‑year contract with an optional extra year, passed his medical and will touch down in London on Wednesday.
The Senegal World Cup star arrives after Chelsea secured Enzo Fernandez’s £125 million move to Manchester City.
This summer Chelsea also added Valentin Barco from Strasbourg and Jordan Henderson after his Brentford exit, while Andrey Santos departed for Manchester United.
Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Reece James remain options, though Caicedo limped off in the 4‑3 Brighton win; captain James can also slot in at right‑back, and Malo Gusto, a natural full‑back, started midfield that day.
What kind of player is Camara?
Analysis by data and tactics writer Conor O’Neill
Chelsea’s midfield has seemed thin despite a strong Premier League start and heavy spending, a gap Camara is poised to fill. In my view, Camara could be the missing piece.
The chart below shows he sits in the top percentile for loose‑ball recoveries, reflecting his knack for anticipating danger. He also ranks high in front‑footed defending, a measure of aggressive tackle attempts.
Camara logged 6.7 penalty‑area passes per 90 minutes last season, the third‑best among Ligue 1 central and defensive mids. He even struck a spectacular goal from his own half for Metz against Monaco in 2023.
Given Caicedo’s injury woes, Camara would be a welcome boost for Xabi Alonso’s midfield. Could his energy free the attackers to take more risks?