Forty million pounds, a USA international striker and a Premier League club crying out for goals. Everton deadline day should have ended with a marquee signing. Instead, according to BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty, it ended in a « shambolic » farce that has tipped an already furious fanbase into open revolt. The Friedkin Group and chief executive Angus Kinnear now face the fiercest scrutiny of their time at the club, and the season is barely a month old.
What went wrong with the Balogun deal
BBC Sport reports that Folarin Balogun’s proposed £40m transfer from AS Monaco « descended into farce » on the final day of the summer 2026 window. Neither club has officially announced a completed deal, and as things stand the striker remains a Monaco player.
Balogun, 25, was born in New York, came through Arsenal’s academy and joined Monaco in 2023 after a 21-goal loan season at Reims. He is a regular starter for the United States and had reportedly been identified as the answer to Everton’s shortage of a reliable centre-forward. The precise reason the move fell apart has not been confirmed, but McNulty’s verdict on the club’s handling of the day was damning.
The consequence is simple. Everton went into the window needing a striker, spent deadline day chasing one, and came out with nothing. In a league where every rival above them strengthened, that is a self-inflicted wound.
The Harrison Armstrong saga that lit the fuse
The Balogun collapse landed on a fanbase already at boiling point. Days earlier, Everton had reportedly agreed to sell Harrison Armstrong, the 19-year-old academy midfielder, to Nottingham Forest. The reaction from supporters was so toxic, in BBC Sport’s words, that the board eventually blocked the deal.
The objection was not just sentimental. Selling a home-grown player while the squad remains thin looked like accounting, not football. The board’s U-turn bought a brief truce. Deadline day tore it up.
A club that cancels a sale under public pressure and then fumbles its headline signing 48 hours later is a club that looks like it does not know what it is doing. That is the charge supporters are now levelling at the top of the building.
The Friedkin Group and Angus Kinnear under fire
The Friedkin Group, the Texas-based owners of Roma, completed their takeover of Everton in December 2024 with a promise to bring stability after years of points deductions for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules. Angus Kinnear, formerly chief executive at Leeds United, was appointed to run the new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Nine months on, it is precisely that pairing supporters hold responsible. BBC Sport describes « open revolt » and « fierce scrutiny » on both owners and CEO. Everton fans have form here: sustained protests played a major role in forcing out the previous board, and the current regime will know exactly how quickly a mood can turn on Merseyside.
The Friedkins are used to criticism from Roma’s ultras. The difference is context. Everton had a new stadium, a cleaner balance sheet and a summer of optimism. Turning that into a crisis of confidence before September is quite an achievement.
What it means for Everton’s Premier League season
Everton will play until at least January 2027 without the striker they spent deadline day chasing. Whether they revisit Balogun in the winter window or look elsewhere has not been confirmed, but the need is obvious to anyone who has watched them this season.
The bigger question is governance. Kinnear’s position, and the board’s decision-making, will now be judged on every result. A poor autumn would turn grumbling into organised protest, and Everton supporters have shown they can sustain that for months.
For the Premier League as a whole, the episode is a reminder that money alone does not close deals. Everton had £40m to spend. They still ended deadline day empty-handed, and with a fanbase demanding answers the owners have yet to give.
FAQ
Did Everton sign Folarin Balogun?
No. BBC Sport reports the proposed £40m move from AS Monaco collapsed into farce on deadline day. No deal has been officially confirmed and Balogun remains a Monaco player.
Why are Everton fans in revolt?
Two back-to-back episodes: the proposed sale of academy midfielder Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest, which the board blocked after a toxic fan reaction, followed by the botched Balogun deal on the final day of the window.
Who are Everton’s owners?
The Friedkin Group, a Texas-based company that also owns Roma. They completed their takeover of Everton in December 2024. Angus Kinnear, formerly of Leeds United, is chief executive.
Who is Folarin Balogun?
A 25-year-old USA international striker born in New York and developed at Arsenal. He scored 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Reims in 2022-23 before joining AS Monaco in 2023.
Can Everton sign a striker before January?
Not from another club. The summer window has closed, so Everton cannot make permanent or loan signings from other clubs until the January 2027 window opens, unless they sign a free agent.
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