The transfer of striker Folarin Balogun, from Monaco, to Everton, which was about to be completed for 40 million pounds (equivalent to R$275.5 million), did not materialize on September 1, 2026, when the United States national team athlete chose not to go to the Premier League.

The 25-year-old player even traveled to Liverpool to undergo medical examinations, as the clubs had already reached a prior agreement for the sale.

Information indicated, however, that the teams needed to start a new round of discussions after an unspecified problem emerged during exams at Everton’s training center.

Faced with the possibility of the negotiation failing, the English club, known as the Toffees, tried at the last minute to acquire striker Joshua Zirkzee, from Manchester United, but was unsuccessful.

The team then entered a state of great pressure, as they had completed the sales of two strikers, Iliman Ndiaye and Beto, on the same day. With this situation, Everton once again sought to close the purchase of Balogun and asked the Premier League for authorization to complete the operation even after the official closure of the transfer window.

The league granted permission, but, according to sources, the player himself withdrew from the agreement and left Liverpool, returning to Monaco the same night.

Therefore, the Toffees are left without reinforcements for the offensive sector this window, unless they now sign an athlete available on the free player market.

On September 2, 2026, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro blamed the failure of the negotiation on Balogun and Everton’s medical department.

“Balogun’s justification was: ‘I don’t feel comfortable with the way I was treated by Everton, the way the club’s doctors raised questions about my future and my health. Therefore, I no longer have the confidence to sign a long-term contract with them'”, said the Brazilian director at a press conference, describing how the team’s transfer window has closed.

“Everton came to us and asked us some questions regarding Balogun’s medical exams. These questions didn’t make any sense, both to our doctors and to the player’s personal team,” continued Scuro.

“The explanations given to us in no way raised doubts about the athlete’s future, because there were none. A discussion then took place between the medical departments of the two teams. It took Everton between two and three hours to carry out new tests and consult other professionals. This is a common procedure when the club’s doctor expresses uncertainty”, he detailed.

“However, information leaked quickly in the middle of this whole process. And, of course, Chelsea saw an opportunity. That’s how things work. All’s fair in love and war. So they called us,” revealed the Monaco CEO.

“It was at that moment that we had to open the doors to discuss (the possible sale of midfielder Camara). But it was almost 8pm. I spoke directly with the player and his agent. We began to discuss the terms of a possible transfer of Camara to Chelsea. At the same time, discussions were taking place involving Balogun’s medical situation”, he recalled.

“It was then that, around 10pm, or perhaps a little earlier, Everton informed us that there were no more problems, that they were ready to finalize the deal and sign the contract. As soon as we received that call, I contacted Chelsea and said: ‘We have reached an agreement, so the negotiation for Camara will not go ahead'”, he reported.

“This is part of the game. There is no reason for this type of negotiation to be seen in a negative way, as if Monaco were the ‘villain’ or were acting unfairly or incorrectly. Apparently, everyone in football is so fair and kind, only Monaco isn’t”, he joked.

“The Premier League has mechanisms that grant clubs an extra hour to finalize the documentation. That’s exactly what we did five minutes before the window closed: complete the paperwork between Monaco, Everton and Balogun”, he mentioned.

“I signed the contract, Everton signed the contract… But, at the last moment, the player decided not to sign. In short, his argument was what I already explained. And that’s how we ended our window. To sum it up, everything that happened on September 1st was unprecedented for me in my career. It was the first time I experienced something like that on a window closing day”, the manager expressed surprise.

“Now, we await Balogun’s return to meet, discuss and decide the next steps. Other markets are open, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and we are evaluating the situation of several athletes, including Balogun. Therefore, it is possible that other players will also leave the club in the next 48 hours”, he concluded.

When asked to comment on Thiago Scuro’s interview, Everton preferred not to comment.