What happened as Chelsea missed out on 3 'Enzo replacements' before the Premier League transfer deadline?
On 2 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the aftermath for Chelsea after the Premier League 2026-27 summer transfer window closed saw the club agree to sell Enzo Fernandez to league rival Manchester City for £125 million, matching the English record set by Alexander Isak when he moved from Newcastle to Liverpool last season.
However, Chelsea did not acquire any new players to replace Enzo Fernandez before the summer transfer deadline. They approached three leading players but were unsuccessful, as follows:
- The Athletic reported that Chelsea missed out on signing Lamine Camara, the Senegalese international who played in the 2026 World Cup.
Sources revealed that Monaco, the Ligue 1 club, reversed their decision and withdrew from selling Lamine Camara to Chelsea in the final hours before the market closed last night (1 Sep) at 23:00 UK time (05:00 2 Sep Thai time).
Earlier that same day, The Athletic reported Chelsea had reached an agreement with Monaco to sign Lamine Camara for around £47 million (€54 million) just hours before the 23:00 deadline, but the deal ultimately collapsed before the window closed.
- The Mirror reported Chelsea made a late bid to sign 23-year-old midfielder Alex Scott as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, but Bournemouth was unwilling to release the former England U21 international during this summer transfer window.
- The Sun revealed that Arsenal rejected Chelsea’s inquiry about the possibility of signing 27-year-old Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
Chelsea's current central midfield options include Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson, Valentin Barco, and Reece James, who has shifted from right-back to midfield.
