Chelsea make midfield decision after Camara blow

Chelsea have decided against pursuing a free agent following their failure to land Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara on deadline day, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues were keen on landing Camara as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who left for Manchester City earlier on Tuesday. A verbal agreement was reached with the Ligue 1 outfit for £47 million, but the club vetoed the deal at the last hurdle.

Chelsea were deeply frustrated by the last-gasp decision, which is likely to deteriorate the relationship between the clubs. Since then, the Blues have been touted to explore the free transfer market and have been linked with a move for former Liverpool star Georginio Wijnaldum.

Wijnaldum's representatives have personally contacted Chelsea regarding the Dutchman, but the west London giants have no desire to pursue a deal for a free-agent after speaking with manager Xabi Alonso. The Blues will wait until the New Year before eyeing a new marquee midfielder.