Everton Pursue Folarin Balogun in Deadline Week Transfer Saga
Everton have dived into the final hours of the European transfer window with a bold move for Folarin Balogun, turning a tense market in Monaco into one of the sagas of deadline week.
The Merseyside club have lodged a formal bid for the United States international, as confirmed by transfer specialists Fabrizio Romano and Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri. Balogun, 25, with Arsenal in his past and unfinished business in English football, is keen on a return to the Premier League and has already given the green light to the move.
Everton’s urgent search for goals
Goodison Park needed a striker. Badly.
Beto’s imminent switch to Fiorentina has blown a hole in Sean Dyche’s forward line but, crucially, also opened up financial space. Everton’s hierarchy have moved quickly, sending an offer of around €18 million to Monaco for Balogun.
On the player’s side, the road is clear. The American has agreed personal terms with the Liverpool club and is ready to rejoin the English game. The problem lies in the Principality’s valuation.
Monaco want close to €40 million, aiming to recoup what they invested in the forward. That gap has turned the talks into a high-stakes negotiation, with both sides scrambling to find common ground before the window slams shut.
For now, the deal is stuck in that familiar late-August zone: everything agreed with the player, nothing agreed with the selling club.
A forward in limbo, a club waiting
Balogun has not played a single official minute in Ligue 1 this season. After featuring for the USMNT at the World Cup in the summer, he completed his physical preparation away from the spotlight while his representatives and Monaco worked on securing him a top-level move.
The message has been clear: he is available, but only at the right price.
Monaco’s stance is shaped not just by finances, but by squad structure. Balogun’s exit would free up a valuable non-EU spot – and that detail links this story directly to Mexico.
Erik Lira waiting on Monaco’s call
The knock-on effect of Balogun’s future lands in Liga MX.
Monaco and Cruz Azul already have an agreement in place for Mexican midfielder Erik Lira. The transfer is lined up, but not yet unlocked.
For Lira to sign, Monaco must clear a foreign-player slot. That is where Balogun comes in. His departure would open the regulatory space required for the Aztec midfielder to join the Principality club.
Monaco are not exposed in attack. The emergence of young German forward Paris Brunner has given their sporting department cover in the front line, which only increases the urgency to move Balogun on and push the Lira deal over the line.
So one transfer out of Monaco dictates another coming in. One striker’s exit for one midfielder’s arrival.
Everton beat Premier League rivals to the punch
Throughout the window, Balogun’s name has been floated around several Premier League clubs. Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle all registered interest at various points, sending out what felt like distant siren calls.
But when it came to putting money on the table, it was Everton who stepped forward decisively.
Now the clock is ticking. A club desperate for goals, a player desperate for minutes, and a Monaco side trying to balance its books and its squad rules.
Some windows drift quietly to a close. This one, for Balogun, looks set to go down to the last negotiation, the last counter-offer, the last phone call.
