Balogun, Willian and Odemwingie: When deadline day transfers go spectacularly wrong
Back in 2003, football's obsession with transfers, Sky's eternal quest for eyeballs, the wealth of Premier League clubs, and the introduction of summer and winter windows combined to create a monster: Deadline Day. The biannual circus was first broadcast 23 years ago and has steadily descended into a parody of itself as awkward ex-pros and excitable reporters somehow fill endless dead air with…
Balogun, Willian and Odemwingie experienced comical mishaps during the deadline day transfers of 2026. Folarin Balogun, a US men's team striker, withdrew from Everton's deal due to scandal and controversy surrounding his transfer. Unsuitable tax haven in Monaco was cited as a reason for his exit, leaving Everton with just one striker.
Malick Fofana, the Belgian winger, faced a harrowing journey in trying to choose between Sunderland and Crystal Palace, ultimately choosing Sunderland. Peter Odemwingie's infamous saga in 2013 saw him excitedly drive himself to QPR for a transfer, unaware the deal had already fallen through. Willian's escape from Tottenham to Chelsea in 2013 was a result of discovering Chelsea's interest while he was undergoing a medical at Tottenham.
Ross Barkley's last-minute withdrawal from Everton to Chelsea in 2017 cost the club £20 million. Fabian Delph angered both Aston Villa and Manchester City before finally concluding a move to the latter. David Unsworth, a former Everton player, returned to Goodison Park in 1998, after discovering that Everton wanted him back.
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