Arsenal join Chelsea and Liverpool in race to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara

by Chelsea sold Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City in the final hours of the recently concluded summer transfer window and had come close to signing Lamine Camara as his replacement from AS Monaco, with a £47 million deal agreed . Despite having an accord over his price tag, the Ligue 1 outfit pulled the plug on the midfielder's transfer to Stamford Bridge but that's not to say interest in his services has died down since. On the contrary, there is set to be a stronger competition for Camara. Graeme Bailey has reported that Arsenal have joined Chelsea as well as Liverpool in a battle to sign the 22-year-old, with the Premier League trio present at Monaco's 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain last Friday to catch the player in action. The Senegalese international played a key role as his side stunned the Parisians but for much how longer he is in Ligue 1 remains to be seen with three of England's top clubs expected to return with offers for his services as early as in January. Arsenal's interest in signing Lamine Camara from AS Monaco comes as no surprise. Lately, they have scouted talent from all over Europe and South America in an attempt to sign promising young players but a move for Lamine Camara might be a tall order. With the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Declan Rice , Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Arteta has enough depth to pick a double pivot in the four competitions his side will participate in during the ongoing season. Lamine Camara's acquisition, especially for £47 million, could derail the Gunners' plans of signing an attacker and consequently, their interest in the AS Monaco star might only be peripheral as they study the kind of players their rivals are investing in. Both, Chelsea and Liverpool, however, would be significantly bolstered by his signing and it will be interesting to see whether Monaco, who need to raise funds to balance their accounts, are prepared to sell the player midway through the campaign.