Everton have one recognised senior striker on the books after the most chaotic transfer deadline day of the summer. Folarin Balogun’s £40m move from AS Monaco collapsed just after midnight when the United States international, inside Everton’s Finch Farm training complex with paperwork in front of him, walked away from the contract.
Balogun arrived on Merseyside at lunchtime on Tuesday for the medical. An issue emerged during the checks and sparked a dispute between the clubs over the striker’s fitness, according to Sky Sports. Everton and Monaco eventually renegotiated the fee, and both clubs filed a deal sheet to buy extra time beyond the 11pm English deadline for a transfer already in progress.
Then Balogun changed his mind. Reporting by The Athletic, republished via Yahoo Sports, put the renegotiated agreement at roughly €50m before the striker declined to sign and returned to Monaco.
Everton left thin at centre-forward
The collapse exposes Everton’s forward line. Beto had already been sold to Fiorentina earlier on deadline day, and Iliman Ndiaye left for Manchester City. Jack Grealish arrived on loan from City in the opposite direction. That leaves Thierno Barry as the only recognised senior centre-forward at the club.
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An emergency loan approach for Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United was rejected, per Yahoo Sports and The Sporting News. The English window shut at 11pm on Tuesday, and clubs cannot register another senior striker until the January 2027 window opens.
Chelsea unhappy with Monaco reversal
The knock-on effect ran straight to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had already agreed to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m and had lined up Lamine Camara from Monaco as the midfield replacement. Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol laid out what happened next.
“My information is everything was done – written, agreed, signed. He was flying into London [on Wednesday],” he told Sky Sports News.
“At the same time, Monaco have been negotiating with Everton to sell Folarin Balogun. Once they agreed a deal with Everton, they came back to Chelsea and went back on their agreement.”
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Monaco ended the night keeping both Balogun and Camara. Chelsea kept neither Fernandez nor the man they had identified as his replacement.
“Chelsea have not been able to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea are really unhappy with the way Monaco behaved,” Solhekol said.
“Chelsea don’t believe this is the way clubs should conduct business. I suppose this is one of the risks you take when you leave things so late.”
The English window is closed for the rest of 2026. Everton’s next chance to sign a striker is the January 2027 window.
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