The fee was agreed. The paperwork was done. The deal sheet was in before the 23:00 BST deadline. And still Everton somehow walked away from deadline day without the striker they had spent hours chasing. That is not just a failed transfer. It is a brutal reminder that, for all the frantic talk, nothing is actually finished until the player says yes.
Folarin Balogun, the 25-year-old AS Monaco striker and United States international, had become Everton's late answer after Beto completed a permanent switch to Fiorentina. The club had already renegotiated an initial £40m agreement with Monaco and were working against the clock. But after a medical at Finch Farm, Balogun changed his mind and abandoned the move. That is the kind of collapse that leaves everyone looking exposed.
Everton did the hard part — then lost the player
There is no point pretending this was merely bad luck. Everton had done enough to create the appearance of control: they had reopened talks, reached a fresh agreement, and signed a deal sheet before the window shut. On paper, that is serious business. In reality, it counted for nothing once Balogun decided not to go through with it.
And this was not some minor bit of squad housekeeping. Everton were clearly desperate for forward reinforcements. They also tried to sign Joshua Zirkzee and Tammy Abraham on deadline day, which tells you everything you need to know about the scale of the problem. When a club is swinging at that many names this late, it is usually because the original plan has already fallen apart.
Jack Grealish helps soften the blow, but not enough
Everton did at least finish deadline day with two notable arrivals. Jack Grealish joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles arrived from Lyon. Grealish, who spent the 2025-26 season on loan with Everton and made 20 appearances before a season-ending foot injury in January, brings quality and a degree of familiarity. His words about feeling loved at the club explained why that move made sense for all involved.
But a wide player on loan and a versatile squad addition do not erase the fact that Everton still failed to land the striker they wanted most. That is the uncomfortable truth here. You can dress the day up with loan deals and late activity, but if the centre-forward target walks away after a medical, the story is about the miss, not the consolation.
A familiar deadline-day problem
Balogun's decision also highlights how unstable the modern deadline-day market has become. Everton and Monaco had already renegotiated the original £40m deal, yet even that was not enough to close the sale. In a market like this, clubs are asked to move fast, spend big and hope the player does not change his mind once the pressure rises. Sometimes that gamble works. Here, it simply blew up in Everton's face.
For Monaco, there is no real damage. For Everton, there is plenty. They needed a striker. They chased one. They came close. And in the end they were left with the oldest and most frustrating lesson in transfer business: until the player is signed, sealed and settled, nothing is guaranteed.
