Chelsea made late James Garner approach after Lamine Camara deal collapsed

Chelsea attempted to sign Everton midfielder James Garner in the final hours of the summer transfer window after their move for Monaco’s Lamine Camara broke down.

Chelsea had identified Camara as a potential addition to their midfield following Enzo Fernandez’s £125m transfer to Manchester City. Fernandez had wanted to leave for a Premier League rival, but Chelsea faced criticism from some quarters after failing to bring in a direct replacement for the Argentina international.

Monaco had initially agreed to the terms of Camara’s proposed move to Stamford Bridge. However, the French club called off the transfer after Everton reopened negotiations over a deal to sign Folarin Balogun.

Balogun ultimately decided against moving to Everton, leaving Monaco unhappy with how the situation had unfolded. Chelsea, meanwhile, were left without the Senegal midfielder they had been pursuing.

According to the Sports Mole account, Chelsea then made a late attempt to recruit Garner before the summer transfer deadline. Reports valued the 25-year-old at £65m, although it was not clear whether Chelsea submitted a formal offer for that amount.

Everton rejected Chelsea’s approach, with Garner understood to be happy with the club on Merseyside. It was also considered unlikely that manager David Moyes would have agreed to the sale of one of his key players in those circumstances.

Chelsea received £125m for Fernandez after he pushed for a move to another Premier League club, but the failure to replace him has led to questions about the club’s transfer strategy.

The London side still have several players capable of operating in midfield, including Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson, Malo Gusto and Valentin Barco.

Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato could also fill the position if required. Chelsea have already shown that Fernandez’s departure has not immediately affected their attacking output, scoring nine goals in their opening three matches.

However, some believe the priority should have been to add greater physical strength to the squad rather than find a like-for-like replacement for Fernandez. That addition could have come in central defence rather than midfield.

Fernandez was unable to establish an effective partnership with Caicedo under different managers, a factor that has strengthened the argument that Chelsea need more physical presence across the team instead of simply replacing the former midfielder.

The late interest in Garner therefore represented another attempt to reinforce the centre of the pitch after the Camara transfer collapsed. Everton, though, were unwilling to part with a player who remains settled in Merseyside, leaving Chelsea to begin the season with their existing midfield options.