Balogun walks away as Everton's deadline day striker pursuit crumbles

Everton's scramble to add a striker before the transfer window closed at 11 p.m. on Tuesday ended in disappointment when Folarin Balogun, the 25-year-old American forward from Monaco, decided against joining the club. The deal had already been renegotiated once—Everton had initially agreed to pay £40 million for Balogun before a medical issue forced both sides back to the table. Even with revised terms in place, the club submitted its paperwork in the final hours hoping to push the transfer through. Balogun, however, chose not to proceed.

The collapse of the Balogun pursuit left Everton without the striker they had been chasing as a replacement for Beto, the Guinea-Bissau forward who completed a permanent move to Fiorentina in Serie A. The club had also explored options with Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United and Tammy Abraham at Aston Villa, but neither player was willing to make the switch to Merseyside. By the time the window shut, Everton had failed to land any of their primary targets in attack.

What the club did manage to secure was Jack Grealish's return on loan from Manchester City. The 30-year-old England international had spent the previous season at Everton, making 20 appearances and winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for August before a foot injury ended his campaign in January. He had been pursued by other clubs, including his boyhood club Aston Villa, but chose to reunite with manager David Moyes on Merseyside. "I think I'm at my best at everything in life, not just football, when I feel loved," Grealish said in explaining his decision. "That's what the manager has given me, what my teammates have given me and especially what the fans have given me. Every time I see an Everton fan, it's just pure love and the way they've welcomed me since that first game against Leeds, I'll never forget that."

During his previous loan spell, Grealish had scored twice and provided six assists across his 20 appearances. He returned to action for Manchester City in their Community Shield loss to Arsenal on August 16 and featured in their opening Premier League match of the 2026-27 season, a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth under new manager Enzo Maresca.

Everton also completed the signing of Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon. The 29-year-old former Arsenal player has earned five caps for England and can play as a full-back or in midfield, adding depth to Everton's defensive options. In outgoing business, Scotland right-back Nathan Patterson departed for Serie A club Torino on a permanent deal. Patterson, 24, had joined Everton from Rangers in January 2022 and made 68 appearances across all competitions during his time with the club.

The deadline day activity left Everton with a loan reinforcement in attack and defensive additions, but without the permanent striker signing the club had pursued throughout the final days of the window.