Folarin Balogun before World Cup match
Folarin Balogun has been omitted from Monaco's Conference League squad amid uncertainty over his future after his failed move to Everton.
The USA striker was at the centre of a chaotic transfer deadline day, having initially been primed to complete a £40million move to the Toffees before late drama unfolded.
USA striker Folarin Balogun, wearing his side's dark blue kit, looks on after losing the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium5
Balogun opted not to join Everton after a chaotic night on Deadline Day
After the initial fee was agreed, an issue thrown up in Balogun's medical plunged the transfer into doubt, leading to the deal being renegotiated at the last minute.
A deal sheet was signed before the 11pm deadline after Monaco agreed to the new terms regarding the sale of Balogun.
However, despite that, the move ultimately fell through when the striker changed his mind and wanted to return to his club.
It marked a dramatic end to the transfer window at Monaco, as a move for Balogun's teammate Lamine Camara to Chelsea also fell throughat the eleventh hour, leading club CEO Thiago Scuro to deliver a fiery press conference on the late negotiations.
Double blow for Balogun
After seeing his Premier League move collapse, Balogun has now been dealt a fresh blow after opting to stay at Monaco.
Just days after deadline day, the striker has been omitted from their Conference League squad.
Having secured European football with a seventh-place Ligue 1 finish last term, Filipe Luis' side are set to compete in the third-tier competition, starting with an away trip to CSKA Sofia.
But when Monaco released their Conference League squad published by UEFA on Thursday, Balogun did not feature at all in the list.
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Included in the squad was ex-Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, who is back after eight months out with a torn ACL that forced him to miss the World Cup with Japan.
The roster applies to competition's the league phase, meaning the Balogun could still play later on in the competition.
Folarin Balogun for AS Monaco5
Despite being Monaco's top scorer last season, Balogun's late transfer drama has seen him omitted from their Conference League squad
Filipe Luis as Monaco boss5
Monaco boss Filipe Luis has picked a squad without Balogun for European competition
However, it remains unclear if the 25-year-old will remain at the club should they reach the knockout stage, with a January exit a real possibility.
Monaco had been under pressure to sell Balogun, or another of their top players, as they needed the balance their books to comply with the French league's financial rules, before both his and Camara's proposed moves fell through.
Adding to Balogun's woes, he was also omitted from his side's matchday squad for their upcoming clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Inside Balogun's failed move to Everton
Following Balogun's failed move to Everton, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro gave a scathing version of events, where he appeared to hit out at the Toffees for their handling of the deal.
Discussing the saga, he said: "At 4pm Balogun was in Liverpool undergoing his medical. Everything was going pretty well.
"Around 7pm, 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.
Folarin Balogun celebrates scoring for Monaco5
A deal sheet was submitted for Balogun's proposed move to Everton but he then decided to pull out of the transfer
"The explanations were not enough to justify or to bring concerns regarding the future of the player, which there aren’t. This discussion started between medical departments from here and there."
Scuro then said that Everton spent multiple hours doing a 'deep assessment' and checking with other doctors regarding Balogun's fitness following the medical.
He added: "What happened was that around 10pm, in our time here, maybe a bit earlier, Everton realised that, 'OK, there is no problem. We are ready to do it. Let’s sign the contract'."
Explaining how the move fell collapsed at the final hour, Scuro revealed that performed a U-turn on the transfer, having been left unhappy by Everton's medical department's assessment of him.
He continued: "Five minutes to close the transfer window there, for us to finish all the paperwork between Monaco and Everton and Balo.
"I signed the contract. Everton signed the contract. At the last moment, the players decided not to sign.
AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro.5
Monaco CEO Scuro held a fiery press conference on Wednesday, explaining why the deals for Balogun and Lamine Camara collapsed
"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, so I’m not comfortable signing a long contract here.
"And that’s the way we finish our transfer window."