Everton’s deadline‑day gamble collapses as Balogun walks away

Everton’s pursuit of 25‑year‑old striker Folarin Balogun collapsed on deadline day after the former Arsenal forward withdrew from a renegotiated £40 million move from Monaco, leaving the Toffees stunned as they had already completed signings of Merlin Rohl, Hayden Hackney and others.

Everton’s summer agenda centred on replacing the departing striker Beto, who left for Fiorentina, and adding firepower to support David Moyes’ push for a higher league finish.

The Toffees had already secured a quartet of arrivals – Merlin Rohl for £20 million from Freiburg, Hayden Hackney for £16.5 million from Middlesbrough, Tyrique George for £18 million from Chelsea and Christian Norgaard for £7 million from Arsenal – plus a swap that saw Brennan Johnson head to Crystal Palace.

Everton’s deadline day activity

Before the final hours, Everton also completed a loan for Jack Grealish from Manchester City and paid £4.29 million for Ainsley Maitland‑Niles from Lyon, demonstrating the club’s willingness to invest heavily before the window shut.

Negotiations for the 25‑year‑old USA international intensified after The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported Everton were ‘hopeful’ of sealing the deal, while Fabrizio Romano confirmed documents were being exchanged as the clubs sorted remaining issues. Romano wrote on X: ‘Everton and AS Monaco are in direct talks to sort issues trying to get Folarin Balogun deal done.’

Sources said the transfer had been renegotiated at around £40 million, featuring a lower fixed fee supplemented by higher bonuses, and that a medical assessment had been cleared, putting the move on the brink of completion.

Deal collapse

When the moment arrived for Balogun to sign at Finch Farm, he changed his mind, walked away and left Everton in ‘genuine disbelief’, which described the club’s reaction as shocked and disappointed.

The collapse forces Moyes’ side to reassess its attacking options ahead of the new season, with the Toffees now lacking a direct replacement for Beto and likely to explore alternative targets before the next window opens.

Ben Jacobs later added that the Balogun agreement resurfaced thirty minutes after the deadline, while Monaco simultaneously withdrew from a pending transfer of Camara to Chelsea, prompting Chelsea to finalise the Enzo Fernandez sale to Manchester City.

Teamtalk noted that Everton had spent much of Deadline Day addressing medical and contractual issues with Monaco and the player before the sudden reversal. The window also highlighted De Zerbi as one of the Premier League transfer winners.