Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton collapsed on Deadline Day after the striker became unhappy with the club’s pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee, leaving Everton without an additional forward and also disrupting Chelsea’s agreement for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
The dramatic sequence of events involved Everton, Chelsea and Monaco, with all three clubs ultimately failing to complete the transfers they had been working on.
Monaco had been seeking a sale to help address a debt issue, while Everton were looking for a striker. Balogun appeared to offer a solution to both situations, and a £40m deal was agreed between the clubs.
However, concerns emerged during the United States international’s medical at Everton, where evidence of an injury was found. Monaco and Balogun disputed those concerns and maintained that he was fit to play immediately.
With the 23:00 BST transfer deadline drawing closer, Everton decided to continue with the move but sought to renegotiate the financial structure. The club wanted greater protection in case Balogun’s medical issue prevented him from playing.
As a result, the agreement became more heavily dependent on performance-related clauses. Monaco would receive less money if Balogun was unable to feature. The player’s personal terms, however, were not changed.
While those negotiations were taking place, Chelsea reached an agreement with Monaco for Camara. The midfielder had been identified as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who was due to join Manchester City for a joint-British record £125m fee.
Everton also made a late approach for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee. The offer was worth about £10m in total, including a loan fee and the player’s wages for the season, but Manchester United rejected it.
The view at Old Trafford was that the proposal had arrived too late and did not represent sufficient value.
Everton’s interest in Zirkzee upset Balogun, who believed the club were attempting to sign another striker behind his back while his own transfer was being negotiated.
Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro revealed Balogun’s dissatisfaction at a news conference on Wednesday.
He said: “Balogun’s allegation is that I’m not feeling well because of the way the club treated me.
“I’m not feeling well because Everton’s medical department brought doubts about my future or my health.
“I have nothing (no medical problem), so I’m not comfortable to sign a long contract here.”
Everton are understood to have been surprised by the suggestion that Balogun felt unwanted. The club believed it had shown a clear desire to complete the transfer and had not attempted to renegotiate his personal terms.
Everton also considered the revised club-to-club agreement to be a reasonable response to the medical concerns. The changes to the guaranteed fee payable to Monaco were intended to reduce the risk associated with the potential injury.
The club’s interest in Zirkzee was separate from the Balogun negotiations, and Everton were prepared to sign both players. Everton’s view is that Balogun misunderstood the approach for the Manchester United forward and believed it represented a change of target, rather than an additional signing.
Monaco had already cancelled Chelsea’s deal for Camara because they expected Balogun to join Everton. The Ligue 1 club preferred to sell Balogun because it needed the proceeds from only one player sale.
Instead, Balogun walked away from the Everton transfer after concluding that he had been treated poorly by the Merseyside club. The decision ended his hopes of what he regarded as a dream move to the Premier League.
The collapse left Monaco with both Balogun and Camara, meaning the club failed to raise the funds it had expected. Everton did not sign the striker they needed and were left with only one recognised forward, Thierno Barry, after selling Beto to Fiorentina for £15.4m on Deadline Day.
Chelsea were also left without a replacement for Fernandez. The club could have withdrawn from the deal that sent him to Manchester City, but honoured the transfer despite failing to secure Camara.
Whether any of the three deals can be revived in January remains uncertain, but after the events of Deadline Day, a quick resolution appears unlikely.
