'What about Lamine?' – Monaco CEO reveals Chelsea’s late Camara push as Folarin Balogun’s Everton move dramatically collapses

In a candid press conference following the closure of the transfer window, Monaco CEO detailed the persistent efforts made by Chelsea to land 22-year-old midfielder Camara.

Scuro explained that while Monaco’s priority was to retain the player for his third season, the Blues were relentless in their inquiries, particularly after offloading their own midfield stars. Scuro noted that Chelsea was always testing and trying, repeatedly asking, "What about Lamine? What about Lamine?" despite Monaco’s firm stance that the Senegalese international was not for sale.

The situation escalated around 4:00 p.m. on deadline day when Chelsea reached out again, citing the sale of Enzo Fernandez as a reason to reopen talks. Scuro maintained that the answer remained no, but as the evening progressed and complications arose elsewhere, the door briefly opened. "Chelsea came and called us. Oh, maybe I can be here for the solution. And at that moment, we had to open the door for the discussion," Scuro admitted.

The collapse of Balogun’s move to Goodison Park was even more dramatic. The USMNT forward had traveled to Merseyside for a medical, but Everton raised concerns that Monaco's staff felt were unjustified. Scuro noted that Balogun had a post-midnight change of heart after the clubs finally resolved the medical dispute.

Balogun’s reasoning was clear according to Scuro: "Balogun’s allegation is that I’m not feeling well because of the way the club treated me. I’m not feeling well because Everton’s medical department raised doubts about my future or my health. I have nothing (no health problem), so I’m not comfortable signing a long contract here."

Scuro was transparent about the club's need to generate revenue, citing the strict financial landscape of French football. He noted that the strategy involved a 20% reduction in the wage bill, a target that was nearly met before the Balogun deal fell through.

The CEO also expressed regret that the failed exit scuppered a deal for Erik Lira from Cruz Azul. Because Balogun did not leave, Monaco could not free up a non-EU spot for the incoming player. "It was mandatory in the agreement that Balogun would open the foreign (Non-EU) spot; because of that, we were not able to bring Erik Lira," Scuro said.

Regarding the emotional fallout for the players, Scuro believes Camara will remain professional despite the late interest from Chelsea. He acknowledged that the player "might have got excited yesterday" by what a club like Chelsea could promise, but expressed confidence that Camara would continue to build his career in the Principality.

For Balogun, the future remains uncertain as other transfer windows across the globe remain open. Scuro mentioned that he is waiting for the player to return so they can discuss what comes next. "Today, he is a Monaco player. There is a chance that he stays. We still have other markets open, which we are having discussions about with different players, including 'Balo'."