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One source with connections to both <\/b>Chelsea<\/b><\/a> and Monaco said the clubs had “played with fire and got burned”.<\/b><\/p>\n Indeed, the late-night transfer drama that involved Folarin Balogun, Everton<\/a>, Monaco, Lamine Camara and Chelsea<\/a> saw all parties lose out.<\/p>\n Camara – a 22-year-old Senegalese international midfielder – had been a target for Chelsea<\/a> as they prepared for the \u00a3125m sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City<\/a>.<\/p>\n But Monaco were adamant he was going nowhere for the fee Chelsea<\/a> were willing to pay.<\/p>\n “I’ve been speaking to them for the last 10 days,” said Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro said.<\/p>\n “At around 16:00 BST yesterday we got contact from Chelsea<\/a>. The answer was the same: no.”<\/p>\n Instead, the Ligue 1 club had allowed United States international striker Balogun, 25, to fly to Merseyside to complete a \u00a340m move to Everton<\/a>. According to Monaco, Camara had agreed to stay with the club.<\/p>\n With three hours remaining of the transfer window, Chelsea<\/a> were content with their midfield options, despite the sale of Fernandez, after failing with enquiries for Camara and Roma’s Manu Kone.<\/p>\n But issues with Balogun’s Everton<\/a> medical saw the door open again for Chelsea<\/a> at the \u00a347m price point Chelsea<\/a> had previously offered. Negotiations were back underway with Monaco at 20:00 BST.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Everton<\/a> failed to find alternatives to Balogun and revived their move with minutes before the deadline.<\/p>\n Chelsea<\/a> had completed all the necessary paperwork for Camara and did not need to submit a deal sheet – a request to the Premier League for additional time to complete a transfer, post the deadline.<\/p>\n But the plug was pulled. Monaco acknowledge Camara was disappointed after he had spoken to manager Xabi Alonso, passed a medical and signed a contract until 2033.<\/p>\n “What happened was that around 22:00 BST our time, maybe a bit earlier, Everton<\/a> realised there was no issue and decided they were ready to sign the contract [for Balogun],” Scuro told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n “As soon as we received that information, we came back to Chelsea<\/a> and said there was no deal. Because that’s also fair. It’s part of the game.”<\/p>\n Chelsea<\/a> were left furious, claiming Monaco informed them in writing that the deal would not proceed rather than communicating the decision by phone.<\/p>\n Monaco thought – by signing a deal sheet, five minutes before the 23:00 BST deadline, to allow Everton<\/a> extra time to complete the transfer of Balogun – they had secured the sale they needed to help comply with Uefa’s financial regulations.<\/p>\n The Ligue 1 side were under pressure to generate 150m euros in player sales this summer, and had raised 106m euros from departures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n