Folarin Balogun Walks Away as Everton Transfer Collapses

Everton's attempt to sign Folarin Balogun from Monaco collapsed after the United States striker decided not to complete the transfer. BBC Sport reported that the 25-year-old had undergone a medical at Everton's Finch Farm training base before walking away from the proposed move.

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The clubs had initially agreed a fee of £40 million, according to the BBC report. An issue identified during the medical prompted Everton and Monaco to renegotiate that agreement, but the nature and severity of the concern were not disclosed. Balogun is understood to have changed his mind after the revised arrangement was put together.

Everton had submitted a deal sheet before the English transfer window closed at 23:00 BST on Tuesday. BBC Sport said Balogun and both clubs had signed the document, which gave them additional time to complete the remaining requirements, but the striker left without signing the final transfer paperwork. The sequence meant a deal that had advanced through a medical and deadline paperwork still did not become official.

Balogun had emerged as a late target after Everton allowed Guinea-Bissau forward Beto to join Fiorentina on a permanent transfer. The Toffees also explored moves for Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee and Aston Villa forward Tammy Abraham, but BBC Sport reported that neither player was persuaded to join. With the Balogun agreement also falling through, Everton did not secure that intended addition before the deadline.

The aborted transfer leaves Balogun at Monaco, the club he joined from Arsenal in 2023. He had previously gained Premier League experience through Arsenal's academy and first team, while loan spells took him to Middlesbrough and Reims before his permanent move to France. The confirmed reporting does not establish whether Everton or another club will revive interest in a later window.

For now, the central facts are limited to the failed move and the steps that preceded it. Everton and Monaco renegotiated after a medical issue, the necessary deadline extension paperwork was lodged, and Balogun ultimately chose not to proceed. Neither club had announced a completed transfer, and BBC Sport's account did not specify the medical concern or disclose the terms of the revised deal.