Folarin Balogun facing Monaco exile after £40m Everton transfer collapse

Folarin Balogun is facing the prospect of being frozen out at Monaco after his proposed £40m move to Everton collapsed in the final stages of the summer transfer window.

The former Arsenal striker had been expected to complete a permanent switch to the Premier League, with Monaco reportedly set to receive around €46m (£40m).

However, the deal fell through after Balogun changed his position shortly before the deadline.

The collapse has left the 25-year-old in a difficult situation at the Stade Louis II, with Monaco still understood to be planning without him.

Balogun was left out of the squad for Friday's 2-1 Ligue 1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain and has also not been registered for the league phase of the Conference League.

Everton collapse leaves Balogun outside Monaco plans

The situation represents a significant change in circumstances for a player who only joined Monaco from Arsenal in the summer of 2023.

The Ligue 1 club paid around €30m for Balogun following his impressive loan spell at Reims, but he is now behind other attacking options in the pecking order.

Paris Brunner has moved ahead of him and has been given opportunities under Filipe Luis, while Balogun is yet to play a single minute this season.

The failed Everton move had appeared to offer a clean solution for all parties.

Monaco were ready to sanction the sale, while Everton had agreed a fee that would have made Balogun one of the French club's biggest-ever departures.

Instead, the late breakdown has left Monaco without the transfer income and Balogun without a new club.

The decision not to include him in their European squad underlines how far he currently appears to be from the first-team picture.

© Iconsport / SUSA

What options remain for Balogun?

Balogun's alternatives are also narrowing.

According to journalist Kristian Sturt, several Turkish clubs made enquiries about signing the United States international before the Turkish transfer window closed.

Those clubs are no longer an option, leaving Balogun with fewer markets in which a deal can still be completed.

Saudi Arabia remains one potential destination while its transfer window is still open, but there is no indication at this stage that a move is close.

If no late solution is found, Balogun could be forced to remain at Monaco until at least the January transfer window.

That would leave him in an awkward position.

His contract runs until June 2028, but regular football looks far from guaranteed if Monaco continue to exclude him from their plans.

The situation is particularly striking given the size of the Everton deal that was on the table only days ago.

A £40m Premier League transfer would have offered Balogun an immediate route out of Monaco and a return to English football.

Tottenham had also shown concrete interest earlier in the summer, underlining how much Premier League attention Balogun had attracted before deadline day.

Instead, he now faces the possibility of spending several months on the margins.

For Monaco, the question is whether another club can still provide a late escape route.

For Balogun, the consequences of the Everton collapse could be even more significant if that route does not arrive.