How USMNT star Folarin Balogun's Everton transfer sensationally collapsed after medical tests

How USMNT star Folarin Balogun's Everton transfer sensationally collapsed after medical tests originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Everything seemed all set for USMNT star Folarin Balogun to embark on a triumphant return to the Premier League.

On the heels of a controversial but bright 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 25-year-old has been a wanted man this summer, linked with Barcelona and Aston Villa before a move to Everton began to materialise. As the deal advanced and Deadline Day progressed, the two clubs reportedly agreed to a deal, leaving Balogun to undergo a medical with the Merseyside club.

However, the deal for the former Arsenal striker seemed to nearly fall through at the last moment, causing complications for both clubs and sparking a wide-ranging ripple effect.

The Sporting News brings you all we know about the collapsed Balogun deal and what comes next for the U.S. international.

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Why did Folarin Balogun's move to Everton collapse?

According to multiple reports, including by Fabrice Hawkins, Fabrizio Romano, and Ben Jacobs, Everton's Deadline Day deal for Folarin Balogun very nearly fell apart thanks to a failed medical.

Once all parties agree to a deal, every transfer involves a physical examination of the player so the purchasing club can ensure there are no surprises when it comes to the individual they are signing. In this instance, Everton seem to have flagged something in the exam that gave them pause about completing the deal.

While technically there's no such thing as a "pass" or "fail" during a medical examination, something clearly arose that spooked Everton enough that they backed out of the transfer at the last moment.

However, the two clubs reworked the deal and renegotiated a more favorable fee. Everton submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League for a one-hour deadline extension, and it appeared that the transfer would go through, with Balogun at the Everton training ground set to sign his new contract.

Yet in one final twist, Balogun himself walked away from the deal and refused to sign, leaving the Everton training ground without completing the final hurdle, according to David Ornstein.

What triggered the red flag in Folarin Balogun's medical tests?

It's not clear at this moment what arose in the medical examination that caused Everton to initially pull out of the Folarin Balogun deal at the final stage. That is unlikely to be made public unless one party wishes to disclose the issue.

However, we do know that both Monaco and Balogun's camp reportedly insist he is medically fit to play and disagree with Everton's assessment. According to Fabrizio Romano's report, "Monaco and player's camp insist Folarin is ready to play and there are no issues."

Where will Folarin Balogun play in 2026?

With no deal completed and no time left in the transfer window for Balogun to find a different home, the 25-year-old now must return to AS Monaco to play for at least the next few months, potentially reevaluating his position in January.

This reunion after a failed transfer is always an awkward prospect, as both parties wished to go their separate ways and are now forced to reunite.

Balogun scored 13 goals in 30 Ligue 1 matches last season for Monaco and will now be set to play in the UEFA Conference League this season with Monaco, alongside his obligations in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.

What were the ripple effects of Balogun's failed move?

When it seemed Folarin Balogun's move from Monaco to Everton would collapse at the initial hurdle, both clubs had to pivot quickly, with the transfer deadline in England fast approaching.

Having sold Beto to Fiorentina earlier in the day, Everton were desperate for a striker and began to frantically search for another option, landing on a move for Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United. They seemingly put together a deal extremely quickly, and the Dutchman nearly joined on loan to partner with Thierno Barry. However, when the Balogun deal returned to feasibility, the Zirkzee loan was cancelled.

Monaco, meanwhile, are in enormous trouble after this disastrous deadline day saga, reportedly leaving sporting director Thiago Scouro in serious jeopardy.

The financially strapped Ligue 1 club, reportedly facing a €50 million deficit, needed to generate funds somehow after missing out on Champions League play and began to pivot toward a sale of highly-rated midfielder Lamine Camara instead. They would come to an agreement with Chelsea, who secured a boost to their midfield after Enzo Fernandez's big-money departure earlier in the day.

However, with Balogun's deal looking revived, Monaco — not wishing to sell both key players — sensationally cancelled their Camara deal with Chelsea at the last possible moment. Multiplereports by English journalists expressed that Chelsea brass were furious with Monaco for their behaviour, believing the French club acted "very unprofessionally" according to one report.

Thus, when Balogun subsequently walked away from the Everton deal, it left Monaco in a huge hole financially, having failed to sell either player when the horn sounded.

Additionally, Balogun's delay and eventual collapse also meant that Monaco could not fill the international roster spot expected to open by Balogun's impending departure. This scrapped a concurrent arrival of Mexico international Erik Lira. With France's transfer deadline closing at 8 p.m. locally (2 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST), which was earlier than the Premier League's deadline of midnight local time, they were unable to find another solution which allowed Lira to be registered whether Balogun had left or not.