A dramatic transfer deadline day saw Chelsea, Everton, and Monaco all miss out on key targets, with a source close to the clubs stating they "played with fire and got burned." The late-night events centred around Senegalese international midfielder Lamine Camara and United States international striker Folarin Balogun.
Chelsea had targeted Camara, 22, as they prepared for the £125m sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City. Monaco's sporting director, Thiago Scuro, confirmed Chelsea's initial approach was rejected, with the club adamant Camara was not for sale at the offered fee. However, negotiations for Camara resumed at 20:00 BST after issues arose with Balogun's medical at Everton, with Chelsea reportedly offering £47m.
Monaco had allowed Balogun, 25, to fly to Merseyside for a £40m move to Everton. Scuro stated that around 22:00 BST, Everton realised there was no issue with Balogun's medical and were ready to sign the contract. Monaco then informed Chelsea the deal for Camara was off. Chelsea, who had completed all necessary paperwork for Camara, were left furious, claiming Monaco communicated the decision in writing rather than by phone.
In a further twist, Balogun had a change of heart in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving Everton's Finch Farm training ground without signing. Scuro claimed Balogun felt mistreated at Everton's training ground, a claim the Premier League club disputes. Monaco may now look to sell other players to countries with open transfer windows to meet their financial regulations.