Striker set for January move after dramatic Everton U-turn

Striker set for January move after dramatic Everton U-turn Folarin Balogun sale plan raises Arsenal windfall questions after Everton collapse Monaco’s position on Folarin Balogun has now been made clear, and it leaves Everton, Arsenal and the wider market with a fresh situation to monitor ahead of January. According to Standard , Monaco are actively planning to move the striker on in the winter window, a development that could hand Arsenal a useful financial boost through the sell-on clause agreed when he left north London. Balogun had looked set for a Premier League return in the summer after Everton agreed a £40 million deal with Monaco. That transfer, however, fell apart late on Deadline Day, with concerns emerging around how the process had been handled. The report states that Balogun felt uneasy amid Everton’s parallel interest in Joshua Zirkzee, and Monaco chief Thiago Scuro later laid out the player’s frustrations in blunt terms. Scuro said: “Balogun’s allegation is that I’m not feeling well because of the way the club treated me,” before adding, “I’m not feeling well because Everton’s medical department brought doubts about my future or my health.” He then continued: “I have nothing (no medical problem), so I’m not comfortable to sign a long contract here.” Monaco transfer strategy comes into focus There is another layer to this. Balogun has yet to feature for Monaco this season because of a knee injury, although a return against Lens has been left open. Even so, the club’s broader plan appears settled. Scuro told RMC Sport: “The original plan is to find a solution for Balogun. If we find that, it will give Monaco the opportunity to keep Lamine and Golovin until the end of the season.” He added: “That is the ideal plan, but we can’t control the decisions and what will happen in the winter.” Photo IMAGO For Arsenal, the key detail is financial. There is no buy-back clause in the original €40 million, £34.2 million, sale, but there is a 17.5 per cent sell-on clause. Any January departure would therefore generate a windfall for Mikel Arteta’s side without them needing to re-enter the picture directly. Arsenal sell-on clause adds January intrigue From Everton’s perspective, this story may not be over, but it does feel significant that the breakdown has remained part of the conversation. January often creates opportunities for all parties to reset, and Balogun’s availability could yet tempt clubs seeking a striker with Premier League familiarity and resale value. The challenge will be whether confidence, fitness and trust can all be rebuilt quickly enough to make a deal straightforward. Our View As an Everton supporter, this is the sort of report that only deepens the frustration around how the club is perceived in the market. If a player comes away from negotiations feeling uncertain, and those concerns become public, then the damage goes beyond one failed transfer. It reflects on process, communication and credibility. Everton have spent too long looking reactive in key windows. Supporters can accept missing out on a player, that happens to every club. What is much harder to accept is the idea that a deal for a forward at £40 million got so far down the line and still collapsed amid mistrust. If Balogun believed the club were sending mixed messages, then that is a major concern. There is also the football side of it. Everton needed goals, needed depth and needed clarity. Instead, the club came away with questions. Reading Scuro’s words, especially “I’m not comfortable to sign a long contract here”, it is difficult not to wonder how badly the situation deteriorated behind the scenes. For supporters, this should be a lesson. Recruitment must be decisive, aligned and professional from first contact to final signature. If Everton want to compete for the best talent, they cannot afford for these stories to become a pattern. Whether Balogun is revisited or not, the bigger issue is making sure the next major deal does not end in the same public mess.