Stop treating African footballers as commodities – Agent reacts after two African stars Sarr and Camara’s failed to get dream transfer move to Liverpool and Chelsea

Diomansy Kamara, the agent representing Senegalese international stars Ismaïla Sarr and Lamine Camara, has condemned European football clubs for  allegedly treating African players as commercial commodities rather than individual professionals.
 

The agent’s public statement follows a tumultuous transfer deadline day during which Sarr’s proposed move to Liverpool was blocked by Crystal Palace, while Camara’s £47 million move from AS Monaco to Chelsea collapsed in the final hours of the window.
 

In a statement posted to his official Instagram account on Wednesday morning, Kamara argued that professional footballers deserve greater autonomy and respect regarding decisions that directly impact their careers and ambitions.
 

“The cases of Ismaila Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us,” Kamara wrote. “We have to get out of this logic where the African player can sometimes give the feeling that he is just a commodity: you buy it, you set its price, you negotiate its future and, too often, your will seems to go to the background.”
 

Kamara emphasized the human dimension behind professional contracts, calling for clubs to prioritize open communication with players rather than viewing transfers purely through financial metrics.
 

“Our African players deserve respect. The respect of their work. The respect of their career. Respecting their ambitions. The respect of their voices,” Kamara added. “A transfer shouldn’t just be a matter of two clubs and numbers. Behind every contract, there’s a man, a career, dreams and life choices.”
 

While acknowledging the institutional leverage that clubs hold in contract negotiations, Kamara reiterated that the personal aspirations of players must be honored throughout the transfer process.
 

“The fact that clubs can sometimes have the final word is a reality of professional football. But one question remains: what about the career and the will of the player?” Kamara stated. “The player must be able to be heard and respected in the decisions that determine his future. Let’s never forget what’s important: behind every success, it’s the players who write history first.”