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USMNT forward Folarin Balogun may not remain at Monaco heading into the 2026–27 campaign, following his last-minute withdrawal from a nearly finalized transfer to Premier League side Everton.
Balogun's back-and-forth move to England — where he spent 15 years under contract with Arsenal before departing in 2023 — ultimately fell through. Everton initially raised concerns over a medical examination, stalling the deal, before renewed negotiations brought it back to life, only for the player himself to walk away at the final moment.
Something left him feeling uneasy, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro explained at a press conference when addressing why Balogun chose to back out.
Monaco had lined up a sale of Lamine Camara to Chelsea the first time the Balogun deal appeared to collapse, only to reverse course when the American's transfer was revived. The Ligue 1 outfit was under financial pressure to move a player and generate income. The plan shifted from Balogun to Camara, back to Balogun, and in the end, neither deal went through.
That financial pressure remains, which is why Scuro indicated Balogun could still be on his way out.
"We are still waiting for Balo to come back to us, to sit down and talk and figure out together what comes next," the Monaco executive told reporters.
Which Leagues Are Still Open to Folarin Balogun?
All of Europe's top leagues are now closed for business — the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 have all shut their transfer windows.
"We still have other markets open where we are having discussions … with different players including Balo," Scuro added, pointing to leagues where the transfer window is still active. Turkey's deadline is September 4, Saudi Arabia's window extends into October, and Portuguese clubs can still register players until September 5.
"We still have markets that have the financial capacity to make something happen," Scuro said.
Balogun Heading to MLS Unlikely
If no deal materializes in the coming days or weeks, Europe's January transfer window will reopen in roughly four months.
Balogun could generate significant interest in Major League Soccer on the heels of the World Cup. Despite being Brooklyn-born, the attacker has spent virtually his entire life in Europe and has never played professionally in the United States.
However, an MLS move is not a realistic option in the near term for a couple of reasons. The mid-season transfer window closed on September 2, and when it reopens, the financial reality of signing Balogun would likely be out of reach for any MLS club — the $54 million fee Everton had agreed upon was more than twice the league's current transfer record, set when Son Heung-min joined LAFC in 2025.