There are still 50 minutes to go.
And, given the way this transfer window has gone, it would probably be daft to assume we have heard the last of it.
But as things stand, this has not been a good summer for Everton.
In fact, unless something fairly dramatic happens between now and 11pm, there is an argument that David Moyes will wake up tomorrow morning with a weaker squad than the one he had when the window opened.
That takes some doing.
Balogun drama sums up the day
Folarin Balogun looked done.
Everton had agreed a deal with Monaco worth up to €50m, personal terms were sorted, and the striker was at Finch Farm for his medical.
Then came the problem.
Reports from France claimed Balogun had failed his medical, with Fabrizio Romano subsequently reporting that Everton’s medical team did not believe the striker was 100 per cent fit.
Monaco and the player’s camp apparently disagree.
To add to the confusion, The Guardian reported later in the evening that the move remained on track.
So, at the time of writing, who knows?
What we do know is that Everton have already allowed Beto to leave for Fiorentina. That came after the club had seemingly cleared the way for another striker to arrive.
If Balogun doesn’t arrive, that leaves Moyes with Thierno Barry, but without Beto and without the striker Everton had lined up to replace him.
Not ideal.
Ndiaye has gone – and that’s a big loss
Iliman Ndiaye’s move to Man City is another one that is difficult to get excited about from an Everton perspective.
Yes, £65m is a lot of money.
Yes, Everton have made a substantial profit.
But Ndiaye was one of Everton’s best players.
Moyes didn’t want to lose him and said as much. And £65m in today’s market?
Not sure.
As we wrote earlier on Deadline Day, Everton are losing more than his goals. They are losing someone who could carry the ball, create something from very little and give Moyes options across the attack.
So while the accountants may quite rightly view it as decent business, the manager has lost one of the few players in his squad capable of producing something different.
Everton now have to replace that.
Grealish coming back – but remember, he was here last season
Jack Grealish returning is obviously good news. For most anyway.
He wanted to come back, Everton wanted him back, and his loan from City should be completed before the deadline.
But there is a fairly important point here.
Grealish was already part of this Everton squad last season.
So was Ndiaye.
Bringing Grealish back while selling Ndiaye does not strengthen the squad. It merely means Everton have retained one of the two.
And that is before we get to the fact that Grealish missed a sizeable chunk of last season through injury.
A good deal? Yes.
Evidence of a stronger Everton? Not really.
Maitland-Niles instead of Tete
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also closing in on his move from Lyon for around £4m, with a deal agreed and his medical reportedly completed in France.
At that price, there is plenty to like.
He is experienced, versatile and can cover more than one position.
But Everton have spent most of the summer trying to sign a right-back. And he was nothing like first choice. Not a chance.
Kenny Tete was the player they wanted late in the window, and that deal appears to have got bogged down in Fulham’s search for a replacement.
So Everton have turned to Maitland-Niles.
He may turn out to be an excellent signing. Hopefully he does.
But again, it hardly screams of a summer plan coming together.
Outgoings keep coming
Beto has gone to Fiorentina.
Nathan Patterson is heading to Torino.
Tim Iroegbunam is expected to join Hull.
Ndiaye has gone to City.
Adam Aznou has gone to Malaga on loan.
Everton also considered selling Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest before backing away from that particular idea after a furious reaction from supporters.
That episode alone raised some uncomfortable questions about Angus Kinnear and Everton’s transfer strategy.
Then there was a late bid for Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling. That was rejected.
Mandela Keita was considered. Nothing happened.
Richarlison was discussed for much of the summer. Nothing happened.
Tete was close. At the moment, nothing has happened.
There has been an awful lot going on.
Whether there has been enough of a coherent plan behind it all is another matter.
Kinnear will face questions
Which brings us inevitably to Angus Kinnear.
The Everton chief executive has spoken positively about the club’s ambitions and The Friedkin Group’s desire to push towards Europe.
Moyes has sounded rather less convinced.
He said after Bournemouth that Everton still needed strengthening. He also made it clear that he didn’t want to lose his better players.
A couple of days later, Ndiaye has gone.
There was also the extraordinary Armstrong episode.
None of it has helped confidence in the people making the decisions.
Kinnear has previously described recruitment as a collaboration between the club’s recruitment and data teams and Moyes, while also acknowledging a “healthy tension” over whether Everton should prioritise young players or those ready to make an immediate impact.
Perhaps we have seen some of that tension playing out over the last few days.
Zirkzee emerges as late alternative
And just when we thought the evening couldn’t get much more frantic, Joshua Zirkzee has entered the equation.
Everton have made a late approach for the Manchester United striker as they look for an alternative should the Balogun deal finally collapse.
The Times reports that Zirkzee is being considered as the back-up option, while other reports suggest Everton are trying to agree a loan deal before the deadline.
It feels very much like a move born out of necessity rather than careful planning.
Beto has already gone, Balogun has hit a problem at the medical stage and Everton are now trying to find another striker with the clock ticking towards 11pm.
Zirkzee may yet prove to be the answer.
But the fact Everton are even having to ask the question this late in the window rather sums up the day.
And if 11pm arrives with Balogun still a Monaco player, Tete still at Fulham and Ndiaye, Beto, Patterson and Iroegbunam all heading out of the door, Kinnear can expect plenty more questions.
Maybe the final 50 minutes change everything.
Maybe Balogun gets done. Maybe another name appears from nowhere.
That’s Deadline Day.
But if this is more or less how Everton finish the window, it is hard to look at the squad Moyes has been left with and call the summer a success.
Right now, I’d struggle even to call it progress.
For updates on the Toffees throughout the season, take a look at our LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments page.
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