Folarin Balogun's return to English football ended in a Merseyside examination room Thursday when Everton withdrew from a £25 million transfer after the USMNT forward failed multiple medical assessments. The deal, which had reached advanced stages including personal terms on a five-year contract worth £75,000 per week, collapsed without a formal announcement from either club. Monaco confirmed the breakdown in a terse statement citing "medical protocol differences."
The 23-year-old traveled to Liverpool on Tuesday for a standard two-day medical process that typically includes cardiovascular stress tests, musculoskeletal imaging, and blood work. Sources with knowledge of the examination say imaging revealed scar tissue consistent with a previously undisclosed groin injury sustained during Balogun's 2023-24 season at Arsenal, before his €40 million move to Monaco. Everton's medical staff flagged the findings to sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who consulted with manager Sean Dyche before pulling the offer Wednesday evening. Balogun returned to Monaco's training facility Friday morning.
The collapse matters for three groups. For Everton, now under Friedkin Group ownership since November, the failed signing leaves a vacancy in attack that was supposed to anchor their survival push—they sit 16th with 23 points from 25 matches, three points above the relegation zone. Dyche has relied on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto, who have combined for seven league goals. The January window closes in nine days. For Monaco, sporting director Thiago Scuro now holds an asset he priced to sell, with no immediate alternative buyer. Balogun has started 11 of 20 Ligue 1 matches this season, contributing four goals, but fell behind Breel Embolo in Adi Hütter's rotation after December. His contract runs through 2028 with no release clause. For U.S. Soccer, the episode surfaces a medical question mark around a player expected to feature in Mauricio Pochettino's attacking plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Balogun has eight caps and two goals since his October 2023 switch from England eligibility.
Everton's board met Friday to review alternative targets. West Ham's Danny Ings, 32, remains available on loan with an option, though his wages exceed £120,000 per week. Burnley's Lyle Foster, who scored 15 Championship goals last season, would require a permanent fee near £20 million that ownership is reluctant to commit mid-season. Thelwell also contacted intermediaries for Lens forward Elye Wahi, but the 21-year-old's €30 million valuation and preference for a top-half club dims that route. Monaco, meanwhile, has opened conversations with Benfica about a swap involving striker Arthur Cabral, though no formal bid has materialized. Scuro is expected to meet Balogun's representatives next week to address his role for the remainder of the campaign.
The failed medical also creates tension around disclosure practices in cross-border deals. Arsenal sold Balogun to Monaco in August 2023 after he scored 22 goals on loan at Reims, but sources say the Gunners' medical records did not flag the groin issue that later required treatment during his first season in France. Monaco's own medical staff cleared him for full training by October 2023, and he played 33 matches that year. Whether Everton's examiners found new damage or applied stricter thresholds remains unclear, but the divergence introduces valuation risk for any future sale. Balogun's camp has not commented publicly.
Watch for Monaco to either reintegrate Balogun into the starting lineup or accelerate talks with Serie A clubs, where Torino and Fiorentina have shown interest in recent windows. Everton's next match is a home fixture against Brighton on February 1; Dyche will likely start Calvert-Lewin and use Beto as a substitute again. U.S. Soccer's March friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica offer Pochettino a chance to assess Balogun in camp, assuming he secures regular minutes before then.
The Friedkin Group paid £400 million for Everton in November and installed a new executive team tasked with modernizing recruitment and avoiding relegation. This was their first major signing attempt. The medical department now has final say on all inbound transfers.
The takeaway
Everton's **£25m** Balogun deal died on undisclosed groin imaging; Monaco holds an asset it priced to move with nine days left.
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