Thiago Scuro sat in front of the cameras on Wednesday and did something football executives almost never do. He explained, in detail, exactly how a transfer fell apart. The Monaco sporting director walked through the final hours of Folarin Balogun's proposed 40 million pounds ($54 million) move to Everton, and the picture he painted was not flattering to the Premier League club. Balogun, according to Scuro, did not fail his medical. He walked away because of how the medical was handled.
The timeline Scuro laid out is precise. Balogun underwent his medical examination at Everton on Tuesday afternoon. Three hours later, with four hours left before the European deadline, Everton contacted Monaco with questions about the results. Scuro said those concerns "made no sense at all" to Monaco's medical staff or to the player's own doctors. There were discussions between the clubs. Then Everton came back and said it was ready to complete the signing after all. At that point, Balogun decided he was done.
"At the last moment, the player decided not to sign," Scuro said. "And basically, the allegation of Balogun is that, 'I'm not feeling well by the way the club treated me, I'm not feeling well by the way the medical department of Everton brought doubts about my future or my health. I have nothing (wrong with his health), so I'm not comfortable to sign a long contract here.'"
Everton did not respond to the Associated Press when asked about Scuro's comments. The silence from Goodison Park is notable because the club's fans are already angry. The Friedkin Group, the Texas-based owners, now preside over a squad with one senior striker. Thierno Barry is the only recognised No. 9 left after Beto was sold to Fiorentina on deadline day, a sale that presumably made sense only if Balogun was arriving to replace him.
This is not the first time Balogun has been at the center of a mess that had nothing to do with his performances. During the World Cup, the New York-born striker was the star of the U.S. team until he was red-carded in the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. His one-game suspension was deferred by FIFA after President Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino to ask about a review. Balogun played in the round of 16 and had a forgettable game as the U.S. lost 4-1 to Belgium. The intervention prompted a formal complaint to FIFA's ethics investigator and widespread outcry. Balogun later acknowledged the whole episode created "outside noise" that affected the U.S. team mentally.
Now he is back in the headlines for another chaotic episode. Scuro's news conference was unusually candid, a rare moment of transparency from a club official about a collapsed deal. He did not hide Monaco's own frustration. The club is under financial pressure to sell, needing to generate money to comply with the French league's rules. When it looked like the Balogun move was off, Monaco started negotiating with Chelsea over midfielder Lamine Camara. They reached an agreement. Then Everton reversed course on Balogun and tried to get the deal done, and the Camara move was scrapped too. In the end, neither player went anywhere.
"Balo leaving was the trigger for everything to be OK," Scuro said. "Basically, our financial plan was working almost perfectly until 7 p.m. (on Tuesday). Now we have to face this situation and find solutions in different ways."
Balogun still has two years left on his contract at Monaco. Scuro left the door open for a departure, noting that "we still have markets that have the financial capacity to do something." The Turkish window closes on Friday. Saudi Arabia's stays open until Oct. 12. Neither destination has the profile of the Premier League, but Monaco's need for cash does not disappear just because the European window shut.
For Everton, the questions are more immediate. The club's medical staff raised doubts that Scuro says nobody else shared. The player felt disrespected. The fans are left with a thin squad and a transfer story that makes the club look disorganised. Balogun has not spoken publicly since the deal collapsed, and Everton has not explained its version of events. The only detailed account on the record is Scuro's, and it does not reflect well on the Premier League side.
According to Yahoo Sports.