Balogun insists Premier League move is still on the table after £40m Everton deal collapsed

Folarin Balogun has refused to rule out a return to the Premier League, insisting the top flight remains “definitely an option” following the dramatic collapse of his £40 million move to Everton on transfer deadline day.

The United States striker, 25, was speaking to talkSPORT roughly a month after the deal disintegrated in the final minutes of the September 1 window. “I was close to a transfer,” Balogun said. “It didn’t materialise, but for sure it’s definitely an option.”

What went wrong with the Everton deal

Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro provided a detailed account of the breakdown at a subsequent news conference. According to Scuro, Balogun completed his medical at Everton that afternoon, but approximately three hours later the Merseyside club returned with questions about the results that he said “made no sense at all” to Monaco’s medical staff or the player’s own doctors. After the two clubs’ medical teams spoke, Everton indicated it was ready to proceed — but Balogun then chose not to sign. Scuro said the striker told Monaco he was not comfortable committing to a long contract after Everton had raised doubts about his health.

World Cup controversy adds to a turbulent summer

The failed transfer was not the only flashpoint of Balogun’s summer. He finished as the United States’ top scorer at the World Cup with three goals, but his tournament ended in controversy when he was sent off in the Americans’ 2-0 round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended the resulting one-game ban for a year, citing a rule that allows it to defer sanctions, clearing Balogun to face Belgium in the round of 16. The U.S. lost that match 4-1 in Seattle, ending their home-soil run. Balogun later acknowledged that the external noise surrounding FIFA’s decision had affected the squad mentally.

“Football has many twists and turns as we’ve seen after the World Cup,” he said.

Balogun’s situation at Monaco

Balogun has remained at Monaco, though his return to action has been gradual. He made his first appearance since the World Cup as a late substitute in a 2-1 home win over Lens on September 18. In his absence, 20-year-old striker Paris Brunner has stepped in effectively, scoring six goals this season.

Monaco itself has thrived, winning four of its first five Ligue 1 matches and drawing the other to go top of the table — five points clear of Paris Saint-Germain after a 2-1 win in Paris on September 4. Sporting director Scuro indicated after the Everton collapse that the club remained open to selling Balogun to clubs in markets where transfer windows were still active.