AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun was at the heart of a dramatic deadline day transfer saga - and he might be regretting snubbing Everton now
Folarin Balogun looked set to sign for Everton on deadline day before pulling out of the move.
Folarin Balogun looked set to sign for Everton on deadline day before pulling out of the move.(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
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Everton summer transfer target Folarin Balogun has been dealt a major blow after turning down a move to the Toffees on deadline day. Just days after opting to stay at Monaco, the striker has been omitted from their Europa Conference League squad.
David Moyes side had agreed a deal with AS Monaco in the region of £40million to sign the United States international.
The Liverpool ECHO understands that a significant issue was identified by the Toffees as Balogun was put through his paces in completing the required medical tests.
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Around the same time, Beto sealed his £17m switch to Fiorentina, leaving Moyes and Everton's recruitment team frantically hunting for alternatives as the Balogun deal appeared set to fall through.
Manchester United blocked an approach for Joshua Zirkzee, while Tammy Abraham turned down a move from Aston Villa, opting instead to remain part of Unai Emery's squad.
The Toffees had submitted a deal sheet to sign Balogun, but the player ultimately decided against proceeding with the transfer, leaving Moyes with just one senior striker in Thierno Barry.
However, Balogun's future at the club is still unclear, with the player left out of AS Monaco's squad for their Europa Conference League campaign.
The US international was also omitted from their matchday squad for their match against PSG this evening.
Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro shared his version of events at a press conference on Wednesday. Speaking about the transfer saga, he said: "Around 7 p.m., we were contacted by Everton, raising questions about Balogun's medical, which, for our medical staff, as well as for the player's personal medical staff, made no sense at all.
"I signed the contract. Everton signed the contract. At the last moment, the players decided not to sign," Scuro said.
"And basically, Balogun's allegation is that I'm not feeling well because of the way the club treated me. I'm not feeling well because Everton's medical department raised doubts about my future or my health.
"I have nothing (no health problem), so I'm not comfortable signing a long contract here. And that's the way we finish our transfer window."
Folarin Balogun
Folarin Balogun starred for the USA at the World Cup(Image: John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
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"Now we are still waiting for Balo to come back for us to sit and discuss and to realize between us what's next," Scuro added.
"We still have other markets open, which we are having discussions about with different players, including Balo.
" Let's see what can still happen until Thursday, because we still have markets that have the financial capacity to do something."
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