Folarin Balogun didn’t end up joining Everton of the Premier League on Tuesday at the transfer deadline, and multiple media reports indicated that the United States men’s national team forward was the one who withdrew from the proposed move.
AS Monaco, Balogun’s current team, and Everton reportedly were in discussions for several days, and the 25-year-old striker headed to Liverpool to take his physical exam with Everton.
According to The Athletic, Everton spotted something in the medical exam that prompted a renegotiation with Monaco over the transfer fee. Everton requested an extension of the transfer deadline to complete the move, but then Balogun opted not to continue with the move, per multiple media reports.
The amount of the transfer would have been between $53.2 million and $54 million, with add-ons of around $5.8 million, The Athletic reported.
Balogun scored twice in the United States’ opening victory of the World Cup against Paraguay then added a goal in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that latter match, Balogun was shown a red card in the 64th minute, a decision that wound up making international waves.
Controversy ensued when Balogun’s one-game suspension was lifted and he was able to play in the United States’ round of 16 match against Belgium. President Donald Trump announced that he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to appeal on Balogun’s behalf, though Infantino denied Trump had anything to do with the decision to reinstate Balogun.
The U.S. lost 4-1 to the Belgians and were eliminated from the World Cup.
Over the past three seasons with Monaco, Balogun scored 31 goals with nine assists in 91 matches (67 starts) across all competitions. He played in the Premier League with Arsenal during the 2021-22 season and had loan spells at Middlesbrough in the English Championship and Reims in France before his move to Monaco.
A native of England to Nigerian parents, Balogun was born in New York, which qualified him to play for the United States. He has scored 12 goals across 31 matches for the USMNT since 2023.
Balogun’s near-move to Everton came after various reports in the offseason indicated potential moves to Tottenham, Aston Villa, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
–Field Level Media
