Balogun: Premier League 'Definitely' Still An Option After Collapsed Everton Move

United States men's national team striker Folarin Balogun hasn't given up on a return to the Premier League, a month after his deadline-day move to Everton fell apart. Asked by talkSPORT whether a Premier League move still interested him, the 25-year-old called it a possibility. "I was close to a transfer," Balogun said. "It didn't materialise, but for sure it's definitely an option." Balogun, who came through Arsenal's academy before joining Monaco on a permanent transfer in 2023, remains with the Ligue 1 club after a summer that put him at the center of two major controversies. "Football has many twists and turns as we've seen after the World Cup," Balogun said. What Happened With Balogun's Everton Move? Everton had a deal in place to sign Balogun from Monaco for a reported £40 million ($54 million), but it collapsed in the final minutes of the Sept. 1 transfer deadline. Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro later laid out the timeline at a news conference. According to Scuro, Balogun took his medical at Everton that afternoon, and about three hours later, Everton came back with questions about the results that he said "made no sense at all" to Monaco's medical staff and the player's own doctors. After the two clubs' medical teams talked, Everton said it was ready to complete the signing. At the last moment, Balogun decided not to sign. Scuro said the striker told Monaco he wasn't comfortable committing to a long contract after Everton raised doubts about his health. Balogun's World Cup Red Card Controversy Balogun was the United States' top scorer at the World Cup with three goals, but his tournament ended in controversy. He was sent off in the Americans' 2-0 round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which normally carries an automatic one-game suspension, but FIFA suspended the ban for one year, clearing Balogun to face Belgium in the round of 16. FIFA's disciplinary committee cited a rule that allows it to suspend sanctions. Balogun played against Belgium, but the U.S. lost 4-1 in Seattle, ending its run on home soil. He later acknowledged that the outside noise around FIFA's decision had affected the team mentally, the AP reported. How Has Balogun Started The Season At Monaco? Monaco has thrived without him. The club won four of its first five Ligue 1 matches and drew the other to go top of the table, sitting five points clear of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain after beating PSG 2-1 in Paris on Sept. 4. Balogun made his first appearance since the World Cup as a late substitute in a 2-1 home win over Lens on Sept. 18. Paris Brunner, a 20-year-old striker, has filled the void with six goals this season. Scuro said after the Everton collapse that Monaco was still open to selling Balogun to clubs in markets where transfer windows remained open, per the AP. Saudi Arabia's window stays open until Oct. 12, but for now Balogun remains at Monaco, where he has two years left on his contract. Monaco hosts Toulouse on Saturday, Oct. 10.