Folarin Balogun Rejects £40m Everton Move After Medical Dispute, Monaco Explain Deadline-Day Drama

Folarin Balogun’s proposed £40 million move to Everton collapsed dramatically on transfer deadline day after the striker became unhappy with how the club handled concerns raised during his medical, Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro has revealed.

The 25-year-old USA international had travelled to Liverpool for the medical and appeared close to completing the transfer. A deal sheet was submitted shortly before 11pm to give Everton additional time, but Balogun ultimately refused to sign the final agreement.

Everton had raised concerns about Balogun’s medical and renegotiated the structure of the transfer fee with Monaco. The Premier League club had also failed to secure late loan moves for Joshua Zirkzee and Tammy Abraham, increasing the pressure to complete the Balogun deal.

Everton sources claimed Balogun arrived later than planned from France and that Monaco were slow to provide the necessary medical records. Scuro strongly disputed that account, saying Monaco’s medical team and the striker’s own doctors saw no reason for serious concern about his future health.

Scuro said Balogun felt uncomfortable after Everton’s medical department raised doubts about his condition. “At the last moment, the player decided not to sign,” the Monaco executive said, adding that the striker did not want to commit to a long-term contract after the way the situation had been handled.

The dispute also had major consequences for Chelsea. The London club had reportedly agreed a £47 million deal for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, who was being targeted as a replacement for Enzo Fernández after his £125 million move from Chelsea to Manchester City. Monaco pulled out of the Camara agreement once Everton indicated they were ready to complete the Balogun transfer.

Scuro defended Monaco’s decision, arguing that the club had preferred to sell Balogun and was working against the clock on deadline day. Monaco are also under pressure to raise funds to comply with financial regulations in France and could still sell players to clubs in countries where their transfer windows remain open.

The Monaco chief executive said he was confident Camara would attract strong offers despite the collapse of the Chelsea deal. The extraordinary deadline-day sequence has left Everton without Balogun, Chelsea without Camara and both Premier League clubs facing the consequences of Monaco’s late transfer decisions.