Why Monaco Could Still Sell USMNT Striker Folarin Balogun After Deadline Day Saga

USMNT striker Folarin Balogun is not necessarily tied to Monaco for the 2026–27 season, even after pulling out of an otherwise agreed transfer to Everton in the Premier League.

Balogun’s on-off-on-off move to England, where he spent 15 years contracted to Arsenal until 2023, ended up being the latter. Everton’s concerns over a medical brought a halt to it, but a renegotiation got things moving until the player himself said ‘no’ at the 11th hour.

Something made him not feel “comfortable,” Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro explained at a press conference as to why Balogun pulled the plug.

Monaco had agreed to sell Lamine Camara to Chelsea the first time the Balogun deal looked like it was dead, only to cancel when the American’s transfer was resurrected. The Ligue 1 club was financially motivated to sell someone to bring revenue money in. It was supposed to be Balogun, then it was Camara, then it was Balogun again, but ultimately it became neither.

That financial need hasn’t gone away, which is why Scuro said Balogun might still be sold.

“We are still waiting for Balo to come back for us, to sit and discuss and to realize between us what’s next,” the Monaco official told reporters.

Which Leagues Are Still Open to Folarin Balogun?

All major European leagues are off the table—the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 are now closed to new signings.

“We still have other markets open which we are having discussions … different players including Balo,” Scuro added, referring to the leagues where the transfer window remains open and clubs can still recruit. Türkiye’s deadline falls on Sept. 4, while Saudi Arabia goes into October. Portuguese teams can also still add players until Sept. 5.

“We still have markets that have the financial capacity to do something,” Scuro said.

Balogun Heading to MLS Unlikely

No MLS team can likely afford to sign Balogun at his current price. | Minas Panagiotakis/MLS/Getty Images

Failing to land on a sale in the coming days or weeks, the January transfer window in Europe will open in four months’ time.

Balogun could be a draw in Major League Soccer off the back of the World Cup. Despite being born in Brooklyn, the soccer star has lived in Europe nearly all his life and has never actually played for a professional club in the U.S.

But he cannot join an MLS team any time soon for a couple of reasons. One, the mid-season window closed on Sept. 2. And while it opens again in a few months, actually paying for Balogun might be beyond any club, because the $54 million fee Everton had agreed was more than double the current MLS record set when Son Heung-min joined LAFC in 2025.

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