Folarin Balogun's Everton Move Collapses Over Failed Medical

Sometimes a transfer collapses at the worst possible moment: right when it's practically done. That's exactly what happened to Folarin Balogun this Tuesday, in the middle of the Premier League's transfer deadline day. The forward had already set foot at Everton's training ground, undergone the customary medical exam, and everything pointed to him putting pen to paper. But it never happened.

According to The Athletic, the move from Monaco collapsed because issues turned up during the medical. Balogun was at the Liverpool club's facilities, but ultimately never signed a contract. Everton, for its part, offered no official explanation for what happened.

The fee on the table was no small sum. Outlets including the Press Association had reported that Everton had put forward an offer of around 40 million pounds (roughly $54 million) for the 25 year old forward, who still has two years left on his contract with the Monaco side.

A Name That Rang Out at the World Cup

Balogun is no stranger to the spotlight. This summer he earned major headlines with the US men's national team, scoring three goals on the run to the round of 16 at the World Cup. He was, in fact, the top scorer for the American side in the tournament.

He also made news for another reason: he was shown a red card and handed a one match suspension following the 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. That suspension ended up being deferred by FIFA after an intervention from US President Donald Trump, which allowed Balogun to play in the round of 16. That intervention prompted a formal complaint filed with FIFA's ethics investigators.

The forward ultimately played in that round of 16 match, a 4-1 loss to Belgium that ended the host nation's run in its own World Cup.

Born in New York but raised in Britain, Balogun came up through Arsenal's youth ranks before stints at Middlesbrough, then Reims in France, and finally Monaco. Last season he posted solid numbers in Ligue 1: 13 goals in 30 appearances.

With the transfer window now closed in England, the forward stays put in Monaco, at least for now. It remains to be seen whether this failed move gets revived in the next transfer window, or whether whatever turned up in that medical ends up mattering more than it seems today.