Everton left with just one striker as Balogun deal collapses

Everton’s deadline-day went sideways at the last moment: Folarin Balogun’s £40m transfer collapsed late on, leaving David Moyes with only one recognised striker for the first half of the season, according to The Guardian.

Balogun deal falls through

The Toffees had already reached agreement on a £40m move, but the transfer was thrown into doubt after issues around the striker’s medical. In the scramble that followed, Everton made enquiries for Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United and for Tammy Abraham at Aston Villa; both loan proposals were rejected.

The structure of the Balogun deal was adjusted late on, with Monaco accepting less upfront and more add-ons tied to appearances. Everton then submitted the paperwork in time and Balogun signed the squad sheet shortly before 11pm.

However, as The Guardian reports, the 25-year-old—who was believed to have missed a scheduled morning flight to Merseyside and arrived later—changed his mind at the final moment and did not go through with the move.

One striker left

With the collapse, Thierno Barry remains Everton’s only recognised striker and the window is left with a chaotic end for the club’s leadership, who were already under pressure after trying to sell Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest.

Everton also hit trouble trying to sign Kenny Tete from Fulham. A £9m agreement was reached, but Fulham failed to secure their preferred replacement, Andrei Ratiu from Rayo Vallecano. The club eventually moved to a long-running right-back search, signing former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon for around £4.2m on a three-year deal.

Money for the window came from sales including Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City (60m plus 5m in add-ons) and Beto to Fiorentina (15.5m), among others. Jack Grealish returns on loan and, as quoted by The Guardian, said he feels “loved” at Everton and believes he is ready after watching the games and preseason.