AS Monaco’s transfer plans unravelled on the final night of the window, with the club failing to receive any income despite expecting to sell a key first-team player.
Two members of the Monaco squad attracted interest from English clubs during a dramatic evening. Premier League side Everton pursued United States international Folarin Balogun, while Chelsea submitted a substantial €55m offer for Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara.
Monaco had been prepared to sanction Camara’s departure, but changed course when the possibility of selling Balogun for more than €40m emerged. That deal became viable after the Premier League granted additional time for the transfer to be completed.
With Balogun’s proposed move to Everton appearing to offer Monaco a significant return, the Principality club ended negotiations with Chelsea over Camara. The sudden decision angered Chelsea’s representatives, who publicly criticised the conduct of Monaco’s directors, according to details reported by Fabrizio Romano.
However, Monaco’s revised plan collapsed at the final stage. Balogun firmly opposed a move to Everton and withdrew from the proposed transfer, The Athletic reported.
That late change left Monaco unable to complete either deal and without the planned transfer revenue. The outcome represented a major setback for the club’s management, which had expected the sale of an established player to strengthen its finances.
The sequence of events also meant Chelsea’s €55m offer for Camara was no longer accepted, while the potential €40m-plus deal involving Balogun failed to materialise. Monaco therefore ended the window without registering any income from either of the two negotiations.
The club will now turn its attention back to domestic matters, with Monaco due to play Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the French championship soon.
According to the betting company 1xbet, Monaco are priced at 6.60 to win that match. A draw is listed at 5.20, while Paris Saint-Germain are rated at 1.36 to claim victory.