Balogun refuses Everton move over medical concerns, leaving both clubs in limbo

Folarin Balogun pulled the plug on his move to Everton at the final moment. The Monaco and U.S. men's national team striker rejected a $52 million transfer after the Premier League club raised concerns during his medical, according to Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro on Wednesday. The decision leaves Everton without the striker they were chasing and Monaco without the revenue injection they had counted on.

• Balogun refused to sign after feeling uncomfortable with how Everton's medical department treated him.
• Both clubs had already signed the contract and only the player's signature was pending.
• The failed move forced Monaco to halt the sale of midfielder Lamine Camara to Chelsea.
• Monaco loses crucial income in a season without Champions League money.
• Balogun remains a Monaco player and could return to Felipe Luis' squad.

What happened at Finch Farm before the English window closed

Balogun arrived Tuesday morning at Everton's Finch Farm training ground with everything in place to complete his return to the Premier League. The two clubs had renegotiated the terms, believed to include more performance-based incentives, after Everton carried out a medical on the U.S. international. Yet with both sides having approved the deal, the player decided not to put pen to paper.

His choice left the Toffees short of attacking cover and Monaco without the cash boost they had planned. It all collapsed in the final hours of the English transfer window, which closed on Tuesday night.

How the transfer broke down in the final hours

Scuro gave a detailed timeline of events to reporters. At 4 p.m. French time, Balogun was in Liverpool undergoing his medical and everything was running smoothly. Around 7 p.m., Everton reached out to Monaco with questions about the striker's medical, concerns that made no sense to Monaco's staff or to the player's own medical team.

Around 7 p.m., we were contacted by Everton, raising questions about Balogun's medical, which for our medical staff and for the player's personal medical staff made no sense at all.

The explanations from Monaco did not calm Everton's doubts. The English club spent two to three hours deepening the assessment and consulting other specialists. Scuro acknowledged that this is a normal process when a club doctor expresses reservations: second opinions are sought, images are shared and the case is discussed.

Why Monaco halted the Camara sale to Chelsea

With Balogun's sale suddenly in doubt, Monaco turned to an alternative plan to balance their books: midfielder Lamine Camara was lined up for a move to Chelsea. But when Everton came back to the table to finalize the deal for the American striker, Monaco called off the Camara transfer. In the end, neither move went through.

The Brazilian executive was blunt about the outcome. Monaco signed the contract, Everton signed it too, and the player refused at the last second.

Basically, Balogun's allegation is that I'm not feeling well because of the way the club treated me. I have nothing, so I'm not comfortable signing a long contract here. And that's the way we finish our transfer window.

The financial hole left by the collapsed Monaco sales

Failing to sell both Balogun and Camara opens a significant hole in Monaco's finances. The club is heading into a season without Champions League revenue and under the scrutiny of French financial regulator DNCG. Monaco's economic situation depended heavily on completing a major sale, and both opportunities vanished within hours.

Other transfer windows still offer a potential exit route. Turkey's market closes on Friday, while Saudi Arabian clubs can sign players until October 12. MLS closes its window on September 2. Those are three possible destinations for a 25-year-old who, for now, still belongs to Monaco.

What's next for Balogun: squad return or late exit

Scuro left the door open for Balogun to be reintegrated into the squad coached by Felipe Luis. The club's priority is to sit down with the player and decide on the next step together. Monaco remains in talks with different markets, including the possibility of transferring the striker before other deadlines close.

Today, he is a Monaco player. There is a chance that he stays. We tried to do the work on the club side, we found solutions. But when Balo mentioned to us this feeling, that he was not comfortable, we didn't see ourselves in a position to push him.

Monaco accepts the player's decision without forcing an exit he does not want. Meanwhile, Everton are left without the attacking addition they needed, and deadline day becomes a headache for two clubs that expected one move to solve their respective urgent problems.