Ultimately, Folarin Balogun will be staying put with Monaco.
Despite previous indications that a major agreement had been reached to transfer the United States men’s national team attacker to Everton, the transaction collapsed on Tuesday just before the English transfer market shut down.
According to Ben Jacobs of Give Me Sport, Balogun did not pass his medical examination. This prompted Everton to attempt to restructure the transfer conditions, which seemingly caused the striker to pull out of the move. Consequently, he will remain with the French top-flight club.
On Monday, various sources reported that Monaco and Everton had settled on a transfer fee of approximately €45 million ($52.3 million USD), with an additional €5 million ($5.8 million) structured as performance-based bonuses.
The American forward had supposedly settled on personal terms for a four-season contract, which included an option to extend for another year.
This transfer activity occurred right before the Premier League’s summer window slammed shut on Tuesday, as Everton sought to bolster their frontline for the upcoming campaign. Alongside this pursuit, the Toffees also reportedly finalized a deal to secure Manchester City’s Jack Grealish on loan for a second consecutive year.
During the previous campaign, Balogun enjoyed an outstanding run with Monaco, netting 19 times and contributing five assists in all tournaments. His impressive form included nine goals in his final 12 league appearances, even though the French club only managed a seventh-place finish. His goal-scoring exploits placed him fourth overall in the Ligue 1 Golden Boot race.
His impressive domestic season was further highlighted by a standout performance during the USMNT’s summer World Cup campaign. Despite a controversial red card received for a challenge during a victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun wrapped up the tournament with three goals, helping guide the United States to their most decisive World Cup victory and their first win in the knockout rounds in over twenty years.
Completing the transfer would have seen Balogun return to England, the country where he was raised, developed in Arsenal’s youth system, and launched his professional career before transferring to France in 2023. The 25-year-old striker qualifies to represent the United States because he was born in New York City, a result of his mother being unable to fly back to England due to advanced pregnancy travel restrictions.
Had the deal gone through, Balogun would have joined a list of USMNT stars securing high-profile transfers following their standout performances at the 2026 World Cup. For instance, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who featured in all five matches for the U.S. team after securing an unexpected starting role, completed a move from the Vancouver Whitecaps to EFL Championship club Middlesbrough in July. Defender Max Arfsten also made a similar move just a week later.
Instead, the forward will continue his career where he is.
