Diomansy Kamara, the agent of Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr, has criticised the way African footballers are treated in transfer negotiations after high-profile moves for Sarr and Lamine Camara collapsed in the final hours of the transfer window.
“Nos joueurs africains meritent du respect, ce ne sont pas des marchandises” “Our African players deserve respect, they are not merchandise” Kamara said in a statement published on Wednesday and shared by journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The comments went beyond the individual situations involving his client and Lamine Camara, raising broader questions about the influence players have when clubs control the final stages of a deal.
Sarr, 28, had wanted to join Liverpool, who saw him as a potential addition to their attacking rebuild. However, Crystal Palace rejected two offers and increased their demands to about 87m euros before deciding there was not enough time to sign a replacement.
The Senegal international therefore remains in London, despite making his desire to leave clear in public. He had even removed several references to Crystal Palace from his social media accounts.
Lamine Camara’s proposed move was halted in more dramatic circumstances. Chelsea and Monaco had reached an agreement worth about 55m euros for the Senegal midfielder, with a contract reportedly set to run until 2032.
Camara had already begun his medical when Monaco stopped the transfer. The club wanted to complete only one major sale, and the departure of Folarin Balogun appeared to be the deal that would go through. That transfer ultimately also fell apart, leaving Camara’s move to Chelsea in limbo.
Kamara’s intervention is partly linked to his own interests. He used Camara’s case as an example of a player who appeared to have been treated as little more than a “number” by Monaco, with the midfielder’s situation changing according to the club’s priorities.
The agent also compared Camara’s experience with Sarr’s, although the circumstances were not identical. Sarr’s proposed move broke down because Crystal Palace and Liverpool could not reach an agreement, while Camara’s transfer was stopped by Monaco after the midfielder had already entered the medical process.
Kamara has previously faced a similarly chaotic situation involving another of his clients, Nicolas Jackson. Last summer, after Liam Delap suffered an injury, Chelsea tried at the last minute to cancel Jackson’s loan departure. Jackson was already in Munich preparing to complete his move to Bayern Munich at the time.
The latest incidents have highlighted the difficult position players can find themselves in when a transfer collapses. Sarr was described as “disgusted” by Crystal Palace’s refusal to compromise, while Camara was stopped midway through his medical.
The immediate challenge for both players will be returning to normal club duties. Videos circulated on Wednesday showing Camara training with AS Monaco, despite the failed move.
Both players may need several weeks to recover mentally from the disappointment, according to the article, while Kamara’s statement has opened a wider debate about whether African players are given sufficient authority in negotiations that directly affect their careers.
The agent’s comments have also renewed attention on the balance of power between footballers and clubs, coming a year after the episode involving Jackson and Chelsea.
Auguste Blanchet has followed African football since being inspired by Senegal’s 2002 World Cup campaign and Ghana’s run to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals. He has described Hakim Ziyech and Youcef Belaili as “misunderstood geniuses” and writes about his passion for the game.