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United States striker Folarin Balogun aborted a £40 million ($54 million) transfer to Everton from Monaco just minutes before the transfer deadline after taking offence at his treatment by the Premier League club.
Monaco managing director Thiago Scuro confirmed that both clubs signed the agreement five minutes before the window closed, but the 25-year-old forward refused to complete the deal.
Balogun backed out after Everton’s medical team publicly raised doubts about his fitness and long-term health during late evaluation talks, declaring he felt uncomfortable signing a long-term contract under those conditions.
The collapsed deal leaves Everton severely depleted in attack following the departure of striker Beto to Fiorentina, sparking fierce backlash from the supporters’ group The 1878s, who accused owner The Friedkin Group of gross negligence.
While Everton secured defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles and brought back Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, they failed to sign a backup forward before the English deadline.
The cancelled transfer also disrupted Monaco’s financial plans, as the French club had budgeted around Balogun’s exit and subsequently halted the sale of midfielder Lamine Camara to Chelsea.
However, Scuro noted that Monaco remain in active discussions regarding Balogun’s potential departure to foreign leagues where transfer windows remain open.
Balogun recently drew international headline attention during the World Cup when US President Donald Trump successfully pressured FIFA to overturn his red card suspension ahead of the United States’ round-of-16 match against Belgium.
