Everton's attempt to sign United States striker Folarin Balogun from Monaco turned into one of the most dramatic stories of deadline day. The proposed £40 million deal was meant to strengthen an Everton attack that had already lost key players — including Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City on the very same day — but it collapsed after medical concerns emerged during negotiations. The clubs attempted to restructure terms before Balogun ultimately decided not to proceed with the move.
For Everton, the consequences are serious: having already sold players on the assumption that Balogun's arrival would offset the loss, they are now left with a squad gap that cannot easily be fixed once the transfer window has closed. Balogun remains at Monaco and must now rebuild his position there after a deadline-day collapse that played out publicly.