Chelsea transfer news: Blues made 'late attempt' for £65m-valued England international after Lamine Camara saga

By Darren Plant | 02 Sep 2026 10:44

Chelsea allegedly tried to sign Everton midfielder James Garner on transfer deadline day, amid the saga that unfolded with Lamine Camara.

The Blues were known to be trying to add the Monaco star to their engine-room ranks, with Enzo Fernandez moving to Manchester City in a £125m deal.

Although Monaco initially accepted terms for the transfer, the Ligue 1 club then scrapped the deal when it became apparent that Everton had renegotiated a deal for Folarin Balogun.

Monaco were ultimately left angry themselves when Balogun changed his mind over a switch to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Chelsea remained in the same position.

According to X account The Bobble, Chelsea made a 'late attempt' to sign Garner during the closing hours of the summer transfer window.

What did Chelsea offer for Garner?

Chelsea are said to have valued Garner at £65m, although the report stopped short of saying that this is the sum that the West Londoners offered for the England international.

Nevertheless, the approach was rejected by Everton, while the 25-year-old is happy with life on Merseyside.

David Moyes is also unlikely to have given the green light for one of his key players to depart the Toffees in those circumstances.

Why Chelsea did not need Fernandez replacement

Despite generating £125m for a player who wanted to leave for a Premier League rival, BlueCo are being criticised by some for failing to replace Fernandez.

However, Chelsea have Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson, Malo Gusto and Valentin Barco as options for the middle of the pitch.

Furthermore, Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato are capable of playing in that role if required.

Chelsea have already shown that they will not miss the goals of Fernandez, with nine being scored in three games.

There is also a strong argument that adding a more physically-imposing player to the team - even in the form of a centre-back - was more important than finding a direct alternative to Fernandez, who did not form an effective partnership with Caicedo under different managers.