Whilst the summer window has been somewhat disappointing for Palace, there is hope that it can be recovered towards the final three weeks before the turn of the month. 

So far, Óscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the only confirmed incomings, with 19-year-old Zavier Gozo set for a medical in London ahead of a permanent signing from Real Salt Lake in MLS. 

We reported interest in Italian side Torino’s young left wing talent Alieu Njie, but across Saturday links began to emerge placing Palace in a position of interest in regards to AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara. 

Palace looked to have missed out on strengthening in midfield when RC Lens man Mamadou Sangaré became Brentford’s club record signing for £42 million, and talented Ghanaian 20-year-old Caleb Yirinkyi signed for Coventry City. 

With two excellent options suddenly off the table, Palace fans began to question who could be targeted, but Monaco’s star has emerged as a target according to a report from Sky Sports’ James Savundra. The report claims that Palace have enquired about the financial possibilities of a deal with a keen interest in bringing Camara to the club. 

So who is Lamine Camara, and why could he be the signing to save Palace’s transfer window?

Camara is a 22-year-old Senegalese midfielder who has played for AS Monaco for two years after signing from FC Metz, where he developed through their academy system. 

Camara is a defensive minded central midfielder and stands at 5”8. He’s been an integral part of both Metz and Monaco’s teams across the last three seasons in Ligue Un, and has quickly become one of the most sought after players in European football. 

Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Manchester United are all interested in signing Camara, but a separate report from Footmercato has indicated that Palace are the first side to make an official bid. Monaco are looking for a fee in the region of £40 million. 

Camara is a box-to-box controller, his game based predominantly on ball-winning and disrupting the opponents play. During his time with Monaco, he has consistently operated as part of a double pivot, the same system that Palace typically deploy both Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada in. 

Camara ranks in the highest bracket in the French top flight for both ball winning and interceptions, and his defensive prowess would complement the likes of Wharton excellently, allowing the Englishman to step forward and influence the game in the opponents’ half of the pitch. 

Across the duration of the 2025/26 campaign, Camara made a staggering 293 defensive actions in 24 league appearances, averaging a whopping 12.2 defensive actions per game. 

His forward play is also strong, and he showed on occasion last season that he has the ability to finish well when offered space in and around the box. In typical fashion for a deep lying midfielder he favours powerful strikes and is clinical when afforded chances. 

Athletically, Camara is an absolute machine. His tireless workrate paired with intelligent defensive IQ sees him consistently win the ball back and turn over momentum, playing a vital role at the heart of a large part of Monaco’s attacking play. 

His first thought in possession is to go forward, whether he dribbles the ball himself or finds a teammate to bounce a pass to so he can join the attack. 

His overall passing could be improved but he shows ambition and intelligence whenever he is on the ball, whether passing 5 yards or 55 yards. 

Camara was rewarded for his excellent club form with a starting space in Senegal’s World Cup squad, and Palace fans will be hoping that Ismaïla Sarr can work his magic and convince Camara to join Palace. 

Whilst Kamada and Wharton have formed an excellent partnership, their game defensively simply isn’t on the same level as Camara’s, as you can see below. 

In possession, Camara compares most directly to Adam Wharton, favouring a similar style of fast, forward-thinking football, and even outperforming Wharton’s overall output. Wharton's forward passes carry more threat and are more consistently dangerous, but the overall nature of a pivot of Wharton x Camara would be scintillating to watch. 

Across 31 appearances in all competitions for Monaco last season, Camara scored three and assisted four. This saw him outscore both of Palace’s starters, although he matched Kamada’s assists and was three behind Wharton’s tally for the season. 

This would be a really smart signing from Palace, and although Camara will demand a large outlay, his potential for development could see that money doubled in a matter of years. He would add instant quality and also some excitement to Palace’s midfield, offering Pierre Sage a genuinely excellent alternative to either Wharton or Kamada within the busy schedule that looks set to come.