Sunderland-linked Lamine Camara hints at future amid growing transfer speculation

Sunderland’s name has been mentioned in connection with an ambitious move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, but the player himself has suggested any decision on his future is unlikely to be made soon.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed an impressive start to the season in Ligue 1, registering three assists in nine appearances and establishing himself as a key figure in Monaco’s midfield. Those performances have not gone unnoticed, with TEAMtalk reporting that Sunderland are among the clubs monitoring his progress ahead of a potential approach.

Camara, however, appears content with his current situation. Speaking while away on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, he indicated that a move is not at the forefront of his mind, despite growing interest from abroad.

In an interview with The Guardian, the midfielder addressed the speculation directly. “For now, I am really happy at Monaco. I feel really at ease here: the players are kind and ambitious, and I have a manager who trusts me. I follow the Premier League a lot – everyone does. I’m not thinking about changing clubs but we will see what happens at the end of the season.”

Camara also spoke candidly about settling into life in the principality after joining Monaco from Metz last year. “Adapting was never a problem. My family have never come to Europe. They want me to be focused on football and don’t want me to be distracted by other things. They want to leave me alone and I like to be alone at home, too. They respect that.”

The Senegal international highlighted the impact of senior figures within the squad, including Denis Zakaria and Paul Pogba. “I really benefit from learning alongside him [Zakaria]. He knows that, too. I’m young so he doesn’t hesitate to give me advice.

“I ask him [Pogba] all sorts of questions, even ones about Senegalese food. He said his favourite is Thieboudienne – like everyone else! As soon as I heard Monaco were interested in Pogba, I told myself we are really lucky to have him in our team. We know he is a world-class player, but he doesn’t show that [in the dressing room]. He is always humble and stays true to himself. We know he is a player who will bring us a lot through his experience. We hope he will be fit again soon. We will really need him this season.”

Camara also acknowledged his disciplinary issues. “It is a habit that is following me! It’s my game. Sometimes I’m on the limit but in some moments I don’t control my efforts. It is a bit of a fault of mine. Sometimes I should manage my effort better. I want to do the right things, to help my teammates.”