Monaco CEO defends club after Chelsea and Everton transfer failures

Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro held a press conference on Wednesday to explain why the high‑profile moves of Lamine Camara to Chelsea and Folarin Balogun to Everton collapsed on the final day of the summer window. Scuro insisted that the club acted in line with contractual obligations and medical protocols, rejecting accusations of unprofessional conduct.

Scuro clarified that the Camara deal was effectively dead by early afternoon when Chelsea, after completing the Enzo Fernández sale, asked whether Monaco would consider selling the midfielder. "The answer was a clear no," he said, adding that the club had already committed to keeping Camara and could not reverse that decision at the last minute.

Regarding Balogun, Scuro explained that the player travelled to Liverpool for a medical on deadline day and that Monaco had already agreed to amend the terms with Everton. "Everton spent several hours on a deep assessment with their own doctors and ours," he noted, emphasizing that the medical findings did not raise any red flags for the club.

The CEO argued that the eventual breakdown was driven by Balogun’s own decision to withdraw, not by any failure on Monaco’s part. "A deal sheet was submitted, but the player chose to pull out," Scuro said, underscoring that the Premier League’s extra‑hour mechanism was used to finalise paperwork before the window closed.

Scuro also addressed the backlash from English media, calling the narrative that Monaco were the “bad guys” unfair. "We informed everyone that there was no deal with Chelsea and we progressed with Balogun’s paperwork until the very last minute," he asserted, highlighting the club’s transparency throughout the process.

He concluded by reminding that transfer negotiations are inherently fluid on deadline day and that Monaco’s priority remains balancing the squad and finances responsibly. "It’s part of the game – clubs negotiate, offers change, and we must act in the club’s best interest," Scuro said.

The statements come as both Chelsea and Everton face scrutiny over their handling of the failed transfers, while Monaco prepares for the new season with its existing squad intact.