Another transfer window has seen a move for a United States men’s national team forward collapse, as Folarin Balogun is now set to stay at Monaco after there was a €45 million agreement to send him to Everton for a new challenge. Last transfer window, it was Ricardo Pepi who saw a move to Fulham not happen, and now it’s Balogun, as the American failed his medical, according to reports.
It seemed as if the deal might end up being completed as Everton submitted a deal sheet to iron out the final details with Monaco, but it still didn’t end with the American moving, according to the Times. The Athletic also adds that it was Baogun himself who called the move off, leaving the Everton training ground without signing on deadline day Tuesday.
This is after Monaco called off the sale of Lamine Camara to Chelsea because it seemed like they would get Balogun’s deal over the line. Neither of these happening leaves the club in financial limbo while also leaving Balogun to figure out what’s next for himself.
Balogun hasn’t appeared for Monaco since the World Cup, where he scored three goals for the United States in a strong performance. It seemed like all was set for him to head back to England, where his journey started in the Arsenal academy, only to stay in France with Monaco. While he may not be getting his big move yet, this isn’t the worst outcome for Balogun, as when healthy, he’s a starter for the, club and he will also still be able to take part in European soccer in the Europa Conference League. While it is a blow to see a transfer fall apart like this, it’s also no guarantee that he’d become a starter for the Toffees as well.
Everton striker Thierno Barry has been experiencing a breakout of his own, and it’s not so straightforward that the American could beat him out for a spot. Balogun’s movement and ability to create his own shot are strong, but Barry is a bigger body for tangling with Premier League defenders as well. The grass isn’t always greener when it comes to transfers, and this is one where, if it doesn’t work out, the USMNT would struggle to determine who would lead the line.
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Balogun has come into his own to become the unquestioned starter for the national team, and if he ended up at a club where he isn’t a regular, Mauricio Pochettino would have a tough decision to make. For Everton, this puts the club into a tough position. Beto has already moved to Fiorentina, and they also tried to move for Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee as a fallback option, but there wasn’t time to sort that out, leaving Moyes with only Barry as a senior striker.
Monaco needed to sell to balance their own finances, so this does put them in a tricky situation, as only leagues like Turkiye and Major League Soccer have transfer windows that are still open after Tuesday.
Time is limited for clubs to get things done, and when issues like this come up, it gets down to one club saying one thing and another saying the opposite. It’s hard to prove which is correct since Balogun hasn’t played this season for Monaco, but there’s still plenty of time to make the best of his situation as moves could still be available in January or next summer for the 25-year-old.
