Photo by Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Photo by Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Some Everton supporters are still irked by the way the summer transfer window ended, with Folarin Balogun walking away from a transfer.
The Balogun episode was the big talking point of the day, after Everton had already sold Beto to Fiorentina. The Toffees were poised to bring the striker in from AS Monaco, but expressed reservations over the player’s condition at the medical stage.
Ultimately, Balogun had a change of heart, having grown uncomfortable about Everton’s stance. He walked away from the deal, leaving Everton high and dry.
Balogun is said to still be open to moving to the Premier League, but there are arguments to say Everton should not try and reignite their move after what happened. And journalist Greg O’Keefe has also made some interesting suggestions about the player.
Which former Everton player would you add to the current team, and why? 🤔
It has to be a striker, right?
Everton told why Balogun isn’t a missed opportunity
Greg O’Keefe of The Athletic appeared on The Blue Room EFC to talk about the state of play at Everton at the moment, as well as David Moyes being in charge.
But he also touched on what happened with Balogun. His coverage for The Athletic in the summer centred around the USMNT players, including Balogun, who he watched a lot of ahead of the tournament and even interviewed.
So he’s well placed to speak about him, and he feels Everton need not have regrets due to Balogun’s true desire.
He said: “Elements of the way the move fell apart were, if not a full red flag about him as the overall package, there was certainly a strong amber flag. My feeling, he’s very, very ambitious. He’s gone from Arsenal originally, to Stade Rennais, went and took a pay cut at a smaller club in France, scored loads of goals there and got his move to Monaco.
“He continued to score goals and became the first choice for the US national team. He scored some important goals for them, without ever being entirely being hugely convincing for me personally. But he’s certainly got something and he would be an upgrade, at that point, on Beto and Barry. There’s no doubt about that. His pace, his finishing in general would all be an upgrade, then if you add in the marketability and the fact we have American owners, that would give us, you would imagine, open doors for tours and money-spinning games in the US, which we’ve almost been sidelined away from in recent years.
“Personally I feel, Monaco didn’t get in the Champions League. They’re in a Europa Conference spot. He’s used to the Champions League. I think he was desperate for a Champions League club. a move didn’t materialise to one in the summer, so I think at that stage, I think he was just open to a move to the Premier League, and it was probably motivated by being in the Premier League and money.
“Everton were offering more than what he was on at Monaco. He was in England, and able to have a crack at proving himself. He probably would have been thinking ‘Couple of good seasons at Everton and move on again’. I’m not sure his heart was in it. I’m not sure how much he was at fault in the way it fell apart, but there certainly was an element of him… obviously he was the one who walked out on it.”
Everton have indeed been left short because of Balogun, and there is now big pressure on Thierno Barry to score goals and stay fit until the next transfer window.
In some senses, it is far from ideal that Balogun didn’t complete a move. But the words of O’Keefe here about Balogun’s desires and character are certainly interesting to consider.
Everton ideally need players who are totally all-in on the Toffees and are not thinking beyond the club.