Everton’s move to sign Monaco striker Folarin Balogun has fallen through after a dramatic late change of heart from the player himself a collapse that also cost Chelsea their chance to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara earlier in the day. Balogun had arrived on Merseyside at lunchtime on Deadline Day to complete what looked like a straightforward £40 million move, only for the deal to unravel entirely by the early hours of Wednesday.
How the Day Unfolded
Doubts first emerged over the Balogun deal after an issue arose during his medical. In response, Monaco pivoted to selling midfielder Lamine Camara instead a player Chelsea had already agreed a full transfer for. But in another twist, Everton managed to renegotiate the terms of Balogun’s move, reviving the deal. That left Monaco needing an alternative sale to balance their books, and with the Balogun deal apparently back on track, the French club withdrew from their agreement with Chelsea over Camara just as the 11pm deadline passed leaving Chelsea furious, despite having a completed agreement in place.
Chelsea, notably, had their own opportunity to walk away from their agreed £125 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City around the same time, but chose to honour the deal in good faith rather than mirror Monaco’s approach.
Then, just after midnight, Balogun himself had a change of heart and walked away from the Everton move entirely a final twist that left both Monaco and Chelsea even more frustrated, given the Camara deal had already been sacrificed to accommodate a transfer that ultimately didn’t happen.
A Fitting End to a Turbulent Year for Balogun
The collapse extends what has already been a dramatic 2026 for the American international, who was previously at the centre of a World Cup controversy involving a red card incident that drew attention from Donald Trump.
Everton Left Short Up Front
The failed deal leaves Everton with just one recognised senior striker, Thierno Barry, heading into the new season, following Beto’s departure to Fiorentina earlier in the window. A separate attempt to sign Joshua Zirkzee on loan from Manchester United was also rejected. Everton’s attacking options were further thinned by Iliman Ndiaye’s departure to Manchester City, though the club did bring in Jack Grealish on a fresh loan deal to help offset some of that lost creativity.
Chelsea’s Frustration
Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol described Chelsea as genuinely unhappy with how Monaco handled the situation, saying every element of the Camara deal had reportedly been finalised — written, agreed and signed — with the player already set to fly into London. He explained that Monaco had been simultaneously negotiating Balogun’s sale to Everton, and once that deal came together, reneged on their commitment to Chelsea. Solhekol said Chelsea don’t feel this reflects how clubs should conduct business, while acknowledging it’s an inherent risk of leaving transfer business until the very end of the window.
Analysis: A Chaotic End to Everton’s Window
Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor was highly critical of how Everton’s deadline day business unfolded, questioning how the club ended up effectively halving an attacking line that wasn’t especially prolific to begin with. He argued that letting Beto leave for Fiorentina before the Balogun deal was fully secured looked short-sighted in hindsight, and that the unsuccessful pivot to Zirkzee once the Balogun move first wobbled only added to a sense of panic in the closing stages of the window.
O’Connor also revisited the sale of Iliman Ndiaye, noting Everton had spent much of the window insisting they were negotiating from a position of strength given Ndiaye had three years left on his contract. The eventual £65 million fee represented more than four times what Everton paid for him two years earlier, yet still drew criticism from supporters as insufficient. An earlier version of that deal a £60 million move to Tottenham with Richarlison moving the other way for £35 million had already collapsed, becoming the first of several failed Everton deadline day deals; a separate move involving Fulham’s Kenny Tete also fell through after Fulham declined to let him leave without a replacement lined up first.
O’Connor placed the chaos within the context of a genuinely difficult window for Everton, including the club’s ownership reportedly weighing a £40 million offer from Nottingham Forest for Harrison Armstrong at a time when head coach David Moyes was publicly stressing the need for new additions. He suggested the club will want to protect what amounts to a significant show of faith in Armstrong’s potential, while being mindful of his value depreciating as his contract runs down.
Despite acknowledging supporters’ frustration, embarrassment and concern, O’Connor pointed to some genuine positives from the window Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ versatility across both full-back positions, Jack Grealish’s expected loan return, promising performances from Championship Player of the Year Hayden Hackney, the experience added by Christian Norgaard following Idrissa Gana Gueye’s departure, and a buy obligation inserted into Merlin Rohl’s loan agreement. He also highlighted Tyrique George’s permanent return following a loan spell, and the swap deal that saw Dwight McNeil move to Crystal Palace in exchange for Brennan Johnson, as one of the shrewder pieces of business in an otherwise chaotic summer.
Ultimately, though, O’Connor felt those positives were overshadowed by a now-familiar pattern of Moyes not being given the attacking reinforcements needed to genuinely compete last season it was a right-back and a proven striker; this time, Everton head into the new campaign with only Thierno Barry as a recognised senior forward until at least January. Given those circumstances, he suggested a serious push for European qualification looks unlikely, and that falling short shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a managerial failure given the tools available.
Timeline: The Balogun-Camara Saga
- Everton agree a fee with Monaco for Folarin Balogun
- Balogun arrives in Merseyside for a medical
- Chelsea have multiple bids for Lamine Camara rejected by Monaco
- Chelsea agree to sell Enzo Fernandez to Man City for £125m
- Doubts emerge over the Balogun medical
- Everton make a loan offer for Joshua Zirkzee (Man Utd)
- Chelsea agree a deal with Monaco for Camara amid Balogun uncertainty
- Man Utd reject Everton’s Zirkzee loan offer
- Everton renegotiate and revive the Balogun deal
- Monaco withdraw from the Camara deal with Chelsea as the deadline passes
- Balogun has a change of heart and walks away from Everton, just after midnight
Quick Facts: The Deadline Day Fallout
- Balogun’s proposed fee: £40m (deal collapsed)
- Chelsea’s Fernandez sale: £125m to Man City (completed, in good faith)
- Everton’s senior striker options: Thierno Barry only, until January
- Ndiaye’s final fee to Man City: £65m
- Everton’s collapsed deals: Balogun (Monaco), earlier Ndiaye-Richarlison swap (Spurs), Kenny Tete (Fulham)
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