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The final hours of Everton’s summer transfer window were dramatic to say the least.
The Toffees were doing all they could to sign a striker on the final day of the window as Beto departed to sign for Fiorentina.
Folarin Balogun looked set to sign for Everton, but complications with a medical meant the deal was then off. Everton would then make a play for Joshua Zirkzee, before the Balogun deal was seemingly resurrected at the eleventh hour.
However, after a deal sheet went in and the window closed, the Balogun deal, once again, collapsed and Everton were left empty-handed.
Since then, Balogun hasn’t been in action for Monaco, but over the weekend, the American made his return to Ligue 1 action.
What’s your honest position on Thierno Barry at the moment? 10 big chances missed in the PL, but six goals across all competitions. It's fair to say he divides opinion at Everton, but Dewsbury-Hall is a fan…👀
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How Folarin Balogun performed upon Monaco return
Balogun made his first club appearance since his transfer saga with Everton on Saturday as he came off the bench for Monaco against Toulouse.
The striker came into this game with a point to prove after a summer of turmoil with a tumultuous World Cup campaign and a failed Premier League transfer to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Unfortunately for Balogun, things didn’t go to plan over the weekend.
The former Arsenal ace made next to no impact in the game, and to say he looked rusty would be an understatement.
The stats tell the story here, in just over half an hour, he was dispossessed twice, he had two unsuccessful touches, and his pass accuracy was just 50%.
Balogun was among the worst players on the pitch in each of those stats, despite not playing the full match.
The striker also only had one shot, which wasn’t on target.
All of that contributed to a WhoScored rating of just 5.77, and after such a turgid display, Balogun may be wishing he’d joined Everton after all.
It will be interesting to keep an eye on Balogun’s form in the coming weeks and months as he looks to get back on track after one of the strangest summer sagas we can remember.