Balogun, Camara and a Deadline Day turnaround that left Everton and Chelsea stunned

Deadline Day has already had its fair share of twists and turns, but the extraordinary saga involving Folarin Balogun, Lamine Camara, Everton, Chelsea and Monaco has taken the chaos to another level. What started as a straightforward move for Balogun quickly escalated into a series of late deals and twists and turns.

His health brought a move to Everton into question; Chelsea then took the opportunity to agree a deal for Camara, but Everton’s decision to renegotiate with Monaco prompted the French club to pull out of their Chelsea contract. Everton eventually revived a move for Balogun, but the striker changed his mind and rejected the move, leaving both Premier League clubs empty-handed.

Everton agreed a deal worth around £40million with Monaco on Monday night for Balogun, who was expected to replace Beto after the Brazilian completes his move to Fiorentina. Balogun traveled to Merseyside around lunchtime on Tuesday for a medical, but complications during the examination raised doubts over whether the transfer could be completed ahead of schedule.

With the clock ticking, Everton began exploring alternatives and approached Manchester United to take Joshua Zirkzee on loan with an option to buy. United rejected the proposal, forcing Everton to return to Monaco and find a way to keep the Balogun transfer alive.

Chelsea have already made two failed bids for Camaro and are considering other midfield options. The club also agreed to the sale Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m and was originally set to start the season without another midfielder.

The uncertainty surrounding Balogun changed Monaco’s position and gave Chelsea an opening. The Blues moved swiftly to reach an agreement with Monaco for the 22-year-old Senegal international, who was set to sign a six-year deal with an option for a further year.

After weeks of negotiations, Chelsea believed they had finally secured the Camara. A full written agreement was reached between the clubs and the midfielder looked set to move to Stamford Bridge.

However, Everton were still working to save their own deal. They returned to Monaco, renegotiated the terms of Balogun’s transfer and reached a new deal. A deal was then put forward to the Premier League to give the clubs more time to complete the move. Chelsea’s proposed deal for Lamine Camara has collapsed after Monaco pulled out of the deal (Reuters Photo)

Following Balogun’s return, Monaco reassessed their deal with Chelsea and pulled out of the deal with Camara. The decision infuriated Chelsea, especially as the club believed the deal had already been put in writing.

Chelsea had already allowed Fernandez to leave for Manchester City and now didn’t have the midfield reinforcements they expected. Their late move to Camaro looked like the answer, but the opportunity disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Everton appeared to have overcome the issues that threatened Balogun’s move, with health issues resolved and a deal to give them more time to complete the move. Still, the attacker had the last word.

Just after midnight, Balogun changed his mind and decided not to join Everton. After a full day of negotiations, the proposed transfer collapsed, leaving Everton without the striker they had spent hours trying to sign and Monaco without the sale that shaped their decision on Camara.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED: CLOSING DAY TIMELINE

Monday night: Everton have agreed a deal worth around £40m with Monaco for Folarin Balogun.
Tuesday, around lunchtime: Balogun arrives in Merseyside for a medical at Everton.
Tuesday afternoon: Complications during a medical called the move into question.
Tuesday afternoon: Everton will explore alternatives and approach Manchester United about taking Joshua Zirkzee on loan with an option to buy.
Tuesday night: Manchester United reject Everton’s bid for Zirkzee.
Tuesday night: Chelsea have agreed a deal with Monaco for Lamine Camara after two earlier bids were rejected.
Tuesday night: Everton return to Monaco to renegotiate Balogun’s transfer.
Late Tuesday: Everton and Monaco have agreed new terms and will send a letter of agreement to the Premier League to keep the transfer alive.
Late Tuesday: Monaco backed out of their deal to sell Camara to Chelsea after Balogun’s deal was renewed.
Just after midnight: Balogun changes his mind and decides not to join Everton.
End of deadline day: Balogun and Camara remain Monaco players.

The implications are particularly worrying for Everton. Beto has already left for Fiorentina and Zirkzee remains at Manchester United after a late approach was rejected. Balogun was brought in to solve the problem up front, but his decision leaves Thiern Barry as Everton’s only recognized senior striker until January.

Everton also lost Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City for a reported £65m, although David Moyes brought in Jack Grealish on loan before the window closed.

Chelsea have their own problem. After agreeing to sell Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m, they agreed that their midfield may not need to be strengthened further. Camara changed that calculation, but Monaco’s late decision left Chelsea without a player they spent most of the summer trying to sign.

Monaco ended the night without completing any deal. Camara stayed, Balogun stayed and two moves that seemed close to completion both fell through.

By the time the window closed, Everton had gone from expecting Balogun to not having any new senior striker, Chelsea had gone from believing Camara was theirs to watching the deal slip away, and Monaco had kept hold of both players for most of the day after exit negotiations.

This is why this final day was so difficult to predict. A health issue changed one transfer that opened the door to another, a late renegotiation closed that door, and then the player at the center of the original deal left anyway. Everton, Chelsea and Monaco all thought they were close to what they wanted. None of them ended the night like this.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

02 Sep 2026 09:49 IST