Manchester City have entered the race to sign AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, after Chelsea failed to get a deal over the line.

After losing Rodri to FC Barcelona, it was important for Man City to make a statement by bringing in a worthy replacement near the end of the summer transfer window, and they got their man, with Enzo Fernandez arriving from Chelsea.

However, the Blues were unable to bring in a replacement for the central midfielder, as AS Monaco backed out of the sale of Camara, after agreeing a £47m deal.

As such, Camara's future remains unresolved, and he has now entered City's thinking, despite the fact Enzo Maresca has plenty of options in the engine room, following Fernandez's deadline day arrival.

That said, Kovacic is approaching the end of his contract, and the Croatian hasn't made much of an impact in the Premier League during the early stages of the campaign, featuring for just 42 minutes across two appearances.

Camara, on the other hand, has been a key player for Monaco, starting all three of their Ligue 1 matches this term, and an average of 51.0 accurate passes per 90 is the highest number in Filipe Luis' squad.

The 22-year-old is also averaging 6.7 tackles per 90, which is higher than any player in the Premier League, barring new Crystal Palace signing Anan Khalaili, who has averaged 7.7.

Having also picked up three goals and four assists in Ligue 1 last season, the 37-cap Senegal international is evidently ready to take the next step in his career, and a move to the Etihad Stadium could be on the cards.

Man City join the race to sign Lamine Camara

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man City have now entered contention to sign Camara, having sent a scout to watch him in action against Paris Saint-Germain on Friday, with Monaco running out 2-1 winners.

Hugo Viana & co have set their sights on the Monaco star, but there could be competition for his signature, with Chelsea still keen, while Liverpool and Arsenal are also named as potential suitors.

Camara could be a statement signing for any Premier League side, given his tackling ability, and scout Ben Mattinson is a big fan of his work-rate too, saying: "Off the ball, Lamine Camara has an insane engine covering large amounts of ground.

"He anticipates passes well and uses his speed to quickly get tight to the ball/player. Camara has quick acceleration and a natural ‘springiness’ with his weight distributed forward due to a slight lean, meaning he can quickly reach top speed.

"His acceleration and top speed enable him to recover and defend big spaces. Often, he’ll use his speed to close down attackers and make well-timed sliding tackles."