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Balogun deal collapses
Chelsea’s pursuit of Lamine Camara collapsed after Folarin Balogun’s move to Everton fell through following a change of heart, leaving Everton with just one recognised senior striker until January in Thierno Barry.
“Folarin Balogun arrived on Merseyside at lunchtime on Deadline Day to complete the £40m move to Everton from Monaco”
Sky Sports said Balogun arrived on Merseyside at lunchtime on Deadline Day to complete the £40m move to Everton from Monaco, but doubts emerged after an issue came up in the medical.
BBC Sport described how Monaco allowed Balogun, 25, to fly to Merseyside to complete a £40m move to Everton, but issues with Balogun’s Everton medical then “saw the door open again for Chelsea at the £47m price point.”
Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro said the clubs had “played with fire and got burned,” and he described how Chelsea had contacted Monaco at “around 16:00 BST yesterday” with the answer “the same: no.”
Scuro’s explanation, fallout
In a press conference, Scuro said Camara had asked to leave the Stade Louis II and that he reassured the player he would secure a major transfer “very soon,” adding Camara could eventually have “even better options than he did yesterday.”
The BBC reported Monaco acknowledged Camara was disappointed after he had spoken to manager Xabi Alonso, passed a medical and signed a contract until 2033, but the plug was pulled after Everton’s late medical developments.
The BBC also said Monaco thought it had secured the sale it needed by signing a deal sheet five minutes before the 23:00 BST deadline to allow Everton extra time to complete Balogun’s transfer, while Chelsea claimed Monaco informed them in writing rather than by phone.
As the fallout spread, GB News quoted Ismaila Sarr’s agent Diomansy Kamara questioning whether African players are shown sufficient respect after Liverpool failed with a deadline-day move for the Crystal Palace winger, writing: “The cases of Ismaïla Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us.”
What comes next
Scuro told reporters that it is possible Monaco will look at selling other players to countries whose transfer window remains open to acquire the funds they need, and he said he expects Camara to be back with “full power” for an upcoming match away at Paris Saint-Germain on Friday night.
“I really understand because a player can get excited by conversations with a coach”
The BBC said Scuro was open to welcoming back both players and added, “For a player with his level of talent, I'm very confident he will soon have even better options and offers than the one he had yesterday.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool may be encouraged by what Scuro reportedly told Camara after deadline day drama, with The Empire of The Kop saying Scuro informed Camara that Les Monegasques may be open to a sale in 2027.
In parallel, Liverpool’s summer window fallout continued beyond the Camara collapse, with GB News saying Liverpool held discussions over Sarr after reaching a huge £123million agreement for Bradley Barcola and exploring a move for Yankuba Minteh before the deadline.