^ ^ Forgotten ex-Chelsea man told Lamine Camara to reject Blues transfer

Lamine Camara was on the cusp of joining Chelsea in the summer transfer window (Picture: Cerberus Sport/Shutterstock)

Former Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria says he encouraged Lamine Camara to reject a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Camara emerged as Chelsea’s top midfield target as the transfer deadline approached, with the Blues scouring the market for a high-quality player to replace Enzo Fernandez.

The west London giants had already brought in ten first-team players across an active window, which began with the club smashing their transfer record to sign Morgan Rogers in a statement £117million deal.

But Xabi Alonso was ultimately left disappointed as Chelsea reached an agreement to sign Camara from Monaco, only for the French outfit to pull out of a deal for the 22-year-old at the eleventh hour.

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Camara would end up staying put in the principality for another season and the Senegal international has featured in all five of Monaco’s opening league matches, with the club sitting pretty at the top of Ligue 1.

He has also played every minute of Monaco’s first two Europa Conference League fixtures and found the net in their 3-2 victory over Gornik Zabrze.

After Monaco’s latest win over Lens, Zakaria – who enjoyed a largely forgettable loan spell at Chelsea – waxed lyrical about his ‘incredible’ Monaco team-mate.

The Monaco star is also attracting interest from Liverpool (Picture: Getty)

Zakaria spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Chelsea from Juventus (Picture: Getty)

‘Chelsea? I told him that it was good but that it is better here,’ Zakaria revealed in the mixed zone after the match.

‘I know the player and the person that he is; he is very professional.

‘I think that [the transfer saga] has given him even more strength. He was incredible today.’

Zakaria now shares a dressing room with Camara at Monaco (Credits: DeFodi Images/Shutterstock)

According to transfer reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Chelsea have not given up hope of signing Camara and will be expected to return for the Senegalese when the January transfer window opens for business.

Chelsea are not alone with their interest, though, with Liverpool set to provide stiff competition in the race to land Camara.

Asked if the Blues will renew their interest in Camara this winter, Di Marzio told Rekatochklart.com: ‘I think so, yes because everything changed for Lamine Camara at the last minute.

Chelsea have not given up hope of signing Camara (Picture: Cegarra/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

‘Chelsea needs a player in that position after Enzo left so I think that in January, they will try again.

‘Obviously it’s difficult to say right now if something will be arranged or not. Chelsea will be coming back again.’

On Liverpool’s interest, Di Marzio added: ‘That will depend on Alexis Mac Allister’s contract situation.

‘Because they’re not talking about a new contract so it’s possible that Liverpool can anticipate and try to get a player in that position before the summer.’

‘Chelsea will come back for Camara, and Liverpool is also there looking at him.’

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^ ^ Why Cole Palmer is set to withdraw from England squad, with Man Utd duo also doubts

England are set to be without Cole Palmer for their four upcoming fixtures (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea star Cole Palmer is expected to pull out of England’s squad for the side’s upcoming Nations League matches due to load management after suffering a ‘small injury’.

Palmer was named in Thomas Tuchel’s 27-man party for England’s clashes with Spain, the Czech Republic (playing twice) and Croatia on Friday, having been left out of the Three Lions’ World Cup squad in the summer.

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder went on to play the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night – his seventh appearance of the season in all competitions for the Blues.

But according to The Athletic, it has been decided that it is best for Palmer to sit out England’s four fixtures over the course of an extended international break.

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The Telegraph’s Matt Law claims the Chelsea man has picked up a ‘small injury’.

Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford could be set to follow suit due to doubts over their fitness.

Mainoo managed 80 minutes of the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, before being replaced by Mason Mount at Craven Cottage.

Rashford and Mainoo could also pull out of the squad (Picture: Reuters)

Tuchel unveiled his 27-man squad on Friday (Picture: Getty)

Marcus Rashford was also substituted in the closing stages in the capital and Michael Carrick subsequently confirmed that the winger had to be withdrawn due to an unspecified ‘issue’.

‘We had to bring him off as he had a bit of an issue,’ the United head coach told beIN SPORTS.

Palmer had hoped to have put his fitness concerns behind him after a deeply frustrating 2025/26 campaign with Chelsea, which meant he started only 24 of the club’s 38 games across the top-flight campaign.

This term, a seemingly reinvigorated Palmer has racked up four goals and two assists for Chelsea under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Tuchel's initial 27-man England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Leeds United)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)

Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Palmer was named England’s Men’s Player of the Year back in 2023/24 and came on to score his country’s only goal in the side’s Euro 2024 final defeat at the hands of Spain.

The former Manchester City man has been capped 14 times in total at international level, with his last appearance coming in the Three Lions’ 1-0 loss to Japan in March.

‘They had a good start to the season,’ Tuchel said of his decision to recall both Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

‘They never did something wrong. We just chose different players.

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‘So now it is a new competition. Some players, some positions, have more injuries. Some have less injuries.

‘Cole has his starts that he always had but he has his numbers back – he has his assists back, he has decisive goals back – so that is why he is in the squad.

‘I think he has a point to prove, and the same goes for Trent. He was never off the list. He was never non-selectable for us, and it is his chance to show, come to camp and be the best version of himself.’

Palmer scored in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain (Picture: Getty)

Alonso sent out a positive message surrounding Palmer’s fitness at the start of the season, suggesting the forward had come out the other side of a ‘difficult period’.

‘I think that sometimes you need to go through a difficult moment with an injury or whatever to learn from that,’ the Chelsea manager told reporters.

‘I think that Cole has gone through a difficult period with the injury, and now he’s working really hard to have the prevention not to have to feel those symptoms.’

England kick off their Nations League campaign against Spain at Wembley in five days’ time.

Harry Kane and Co then travel to Prague to take on the Czech Republic next Tuesday before locking horns with Croatia in Rijeka on October 3.

Tuchel’s men conclude the international break by returning to Wembley to play host to the Czech Republic on October 6.

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^ ^ Louis Saha names title favourites after Man City win and Arsenal lose

Manchester City are the ‘strongest’ team in the Premier League, says Louis Saha (Picture: Sky Sports)

Louis Saha believes the momentum may have shifted away from Arsenal in the Premier League, naming Manchester City as the ‘strongest’ team in this year’s title race.

City ensured they entered the international break with a three-point lead at the top of the table after emerging victorious in an eight-goal thriller at home to Sunderland on Sunday.

Brian Brobbey completed a stunning hat-trick at the Etihad but it was not enough for the visiting Black Cats, with an Antoine Semenyo brace and goals from Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland proving decisive.

A day earlier, Arsenal were on the receiving end of arguably the biggest upset of the season thus far as they stumbled to a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton.

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Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas were both on target for the Seagulls in the first half, before Chema Andres headed home to put the hosts out of sight on the hour-mark at a rapturous Amex Stadium.

The reigning champions will look to get back to winning ways when they return to top-flight action against Leeds in three weeks’ time, while City will hope to preserve their 100 per cent record on the road at Liverpool.

‘I think everyone can say that Arsenal had the best momentum even if they lost it towards the end [of last season],’ ex-Manchester United, Fulham and France striker Saha said when asked about the title race on Sky Sports.

Maresca’s City side hold a three-point lead at the top (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal dropped their first points of the campaign away to Brighton (Picture: Getty)

‘I think now City understood their mistakes, even if they still have young players coming through, they have this experience.

‘The combination of strength and creativity is enormous in midfield so I do think they are the strongest one.

‘On the bench as well because Jeremy Doku is coming back, it’s frightening.’

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After Arsenal were consigned to their opening loss of the campaign, a ‘disappointed’ Mikel Arteta accused his players of failing to ‘respect the game’.

‘A very disappointing result and performance,’ the Arsenal head coach told reporters.

‘Full credit to Brighton in the manner they performed and went about the game.

Arteta cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at the Amex Stadium (Picture: Sports Press Photo/Shutterstock)

‘They were another gear from us in the basics of the game. They were always first in the first duel, in the second actions, second balls, and they started to play from there.

‘On top of that, when we had the ball, especially in our own half, we were extremely poor technically, not respecting the game and the game principles you have to apply against a team that want to press you man to man.’

‘That never gives you the option to dominate and control the game in the manner you want.’

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The Spaniard added: ‘When we had big chances, we didn’t put them away.

‘We have to make sure we learn the lesson because this can’t happen again.’

Arsenal’s previous defeat in the Premier League came back in April when they were beaten 2-1 away to City, with Cherki and Haaland netting either side of Kai Havertz’s 18th-minute effort.

The Gunners did the double over their next opponents, Leeds, last season, scoring five unanswered goals on home soil before winning 4-0 at Elland Road.

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^ ^ Arsenal star’s ‘unusual’ performance criticised after Brighton setback

Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Brighton (Picture: Sports Press Photo/Shutterstock)

Arsenal stumbled to their first defeat of the season as they were well beaten by Fabian Hurzeler’s high-flying Brighton – and the usually unflappable David Raya had a day to forget on the south coast.

The Gunners had won seven from seven all competitions heading into the contest on the back of Bruno Guimaraes-inspired 2-0 win over Sunderland in the previous encounter.

But Mikel Arteta’s side were found wanting at the Amex Stadium as goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres steered Saturday’s hosts to a comprehensive 3-0 victory.

The reigning Premier League champions offered very little by way of response and were perhaps fortunate to finish with ten men on the field after Declan Rice was caught kicking out at Brighton’s Malick Yalcouye in the dying moments.

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The result means Manchester City can claim a three-point lead over Arsenal at the top if they get the better of Sunderland this afternoon at the Etihad.

The north Londoners will look to get back to winning ways when they return to action after the international break at home to Leeds.

‘I’ve never seen them this bad but listen, you can have games like this,’ ex-Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison said of Arsenal’s lacklustre performance on Premier League productions.

Raya produced an uncharacteristically shaky display on the south coast (Picture: Wired Photos/Shutterstock)

Chema Andres made it three for the Seagulls in the second half (Picture: Simon Dack/TPI/Shutterstock)

‘They’ve started the season ever so well and I think you’ve got to give credit more to Brighton.

‘But they were disappointing, Arsenal, the way they defended.’

Morrison singled out Raya’s especially ‘unusual’ showing between the sticks, criticising the Spaniard’s distribution out from the back.

‘Even David Raya who has been outstanding, he did make some important mistakes. It was very unusual, some of his distribution and stuff like that. Disappointing,’ he added.

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‘It’s a bit of a reality check for Arsenal. It’s not going to be easy to retain the Premier League and it’s a hard place to go, Brighton, it’s always difficult and they’re a good team with a good manager.’

Having returned to Brighton from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, veteran midfielder Gross, 35, has hit the ground running in an outstanding start to the season for the Seagulls.

Gross has already netted four times in the Premier League at this embryonic stage of the campaign – and the German had never before scored three goals in three successive games, a feat he achieved with his 31st-minute strike against Arsenal.

Gross shone for Brighton (Picture: Getty)

‘He’s been outstanding,’ Morrison said of Gross.

‘When he left there and they managed to bring him back, I thought it was a great bit of business and he’s an outstanding player.

‘He doesn’t look 35, the way he’s covering the ground, and he’s so good on the ball.

‘That finish for the goal is outstanding. The only place he could have put that ball is there… there were defenders there if he tried to go across. Great finish.’

Stuart Pearce, providing punditry in the Premier League Productions studio alongside Morrison, highlighted how the return of Gross had helped fill the leadership void left by Danny Welbeck in the summer transfer window.

‘Brighton like leaders and role models in their dressing rooms that are not the manager or the coaching staff,’ the former England and Nottingham Forest defender said.

‘They’ve lost Danny Welbeck and they’ve lost James Milner and now it’s Gross’ turn to step up and be that person.’

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