Chelsea have emerged as the latest Premier League giant to express interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, intensifying the battle for the highly-rated Senegalese international.
Chelsea Join Race for Monaco Star Lamine Camara
The West London club have now joined Liverpool and Manchester United in the pursuit of the 22-year-old, according to French media outlet FootMercato.
This development comes after Crystal Palace recently saw their £35m-plus bid rejected by the Ligue 1 side.
Monaco remain firm in their valuation of Camara, demanding a €50m (£42.7m) fee for the defensive midfielder.
The French club hold considerable leverage in negotiations, with the player still having three years remaining on his current contract.
Camara has established himself as a key figure since his £12.8m move from Metz two years ago, making 49 appearances for Senegal and featuring in four matches at this summer’s World Cup.
Monaco head coach Filipe Luis has made his stance abundantly clear following his side’s impressive 3-2 victory at Anfield last Sunday. The manager expressed his determination to retain the player’s services.
“We want to build a truly competitive team. I’m very selfish and I want to keep all the players. I don’t want anyone to leave,” Luis stated.
“But I know that clubs have to make sales, which we have done. I hope we can keep him. He’s probably one of the best midfielders in the world.”
The Brazilian coach continued: “I don’t want to say too much, because I know that many clubs are interested in him. We all want him to stay.
He’s really important to me. He’s very gifted with the ball at his feet, he covers a lot of ground. He’s an exceptional player.”
Luis remains optimistic about Camara’s future at the Stade Louis II, adding: “I have every hope that he stays. I think he’s happy in Monaco.
If he stays, he’ll be able to work even harder. Because he’s going to play, as I said, a key role in my system of play.”
The transfer saga looks set to continue, with Chelsea’s approach testing Monaco’s resolve to keep their prized asset for at least one more season.
