All About Why Everton’s £40m Deal Fell Through: Were The Toffees Right?

An Everton deal for Folarin Balogun worth around £40m fell through due to concerns raised during his medical assessment, with Landon Donovan shedding more light on the situation. The report from Aheed Abrar of Goodison News states that Everton's medical team observed issues during the evaluation, which led to raised concerns about Balogun's fitness and running data.

Balogun reportedly found these questions disrespectful and withdrew from the transfer. The reported value of the deal was approximately $53m with potential add-ons, making the headline fee close to £40m. Everton had requested additional time to finalize the agreement following the medical concerns. Balogun ultimately remained at Monaco.

Donovan suggested that Balogun might have arrived with a slight knee problem and required several weeks to reach full match fitness. Monaco had already managed his return cautiously after the World Cup, with the forward making only one appearance, a 14-minute substitute against Lens on September 18. Monaco's statistics show that Balogun registered just one appearance, 14 minutes, no goals, and no assists in the 2023-2024 season.

He has taken one shot, which he managed to convert. After Balogun's withdrawal, Pochettino left him off the latest USMNT squad, a decision that some speculate was related to his limited club minutes and a minor leg issue.