Folarin Balogun facing Saudi Arabia or Turkey move as Monaco CEO fumes over failed $45m Everton transfer

Balogun has seen his proposed $45 million move to Everton fall through after a highly dramatic deadline-day collapse. The United States men's national team forward abruptly pulled the plug on his anticipated return to the Premier League in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The two clubs had initially been granted an extension beyond the 23:00 BST deadline to restructure the complex deal. However, the agreement completely broke down following unexpected complications during the player's medical examination at the English club's Finch Farm training ground.

The collapse directly stems from a significant disagreement following Balogun's physical assessments on Merseyside. ESPNindicate that Everton were suddenly alerted to major issues during the medical, prompting them to attempt to aggressively restructure the transfer terms.

However, AS Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro revealed that the 25-year-old ultimately abandoned the move due to concerns over how he was treated by the English club during the stressful process.

"We are still waiting for Balo to come back and to sit and discuss and to realise between us what is next," Scuro explained to the media during a press conference on Wednesday.

Despite the bitter breakdown in negotiations with the Toffees, Monaco remain utterly determined to move Balogun on. The Ligue 1 side urgently need to raise funds by offloading squad contracts, and the USMNT striker remains a primary candidate for a permanent departure. With the major European windows now firmly closed, Scuro confirmed the club is actively exploring alternative global destinations.

"We still have other markets open, which we are having discussions in different players including Balo," Scuro added. "Let's see what can still happen until Thursday, because we still have markets that have the financial capacity to do something and this is what happened and this is where we are today."

Balogun must now quickly assess his limited remaining options if he is to secure regular first-team football this season. A lucrative move to either the Turkish Super Lig or the Saudi Pro League currently appear to be the most viable escape routes. The transfer window in Turkey remains open for business until September 4, providing a brief window for a potential European lifeline. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian clubs have until October 12 to finalise their squads.

Monaco will push hard to successfully agree a transfer fee with an interested party in either league over the coming days. If no deal materialises, Balogun faces an uncertain future in France.