Folarin Balogun has been left out of AS Monaco’s squad for the Europa Conference League this season, following his scrapped deadline-day move to Everton.
AS Monaco have named their Europa Conference League squad for the 2026/27 League Phase, and former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is a notable omission.
Reports have suggested Balogun is likely to stay with Monaco, following the breakdown of his transfer to Premier League Everton, but some transfer windows remain open – such as in Saudi Arabia.
GFFN report that Balogun returned to training with Monaco on Thursday, ahead of their game against Paris Saint-Germain on Friday, but he hasn’t been included in the squad for the PSG match due to a fitness issue, which will have an impact on top sportsbook bonuses.
Yet whether this fitness issue is related to Balogun’s absence from the Conference League squad remains to be seen.
On transfer deadline day, Balogun was set to sign for Everton in a €50m package that would see Arsenal cashing in on their 17.5% sell-on clause. Yet that move was thrown into doubt amid reports that Balogun had failed his medical.
After further review, Everton ultimately still wanted to proceed with the deal, and it looked to be going ahead. But the player pulled out at the last minute.
Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro explained: “We had a clear agreement for Balogun to go to Everton.
“Balogun flew yesterday morning to complete his medical and sign a contract. Everything was going pretty well. Around 19:00 we were contacted by Everton, who raised concerns about Balogun’s medical.”
“It took around two or three hours to go through the assessments, consult other doctors and review the scans,” Scuro continued. “Around 22:00 our time, maybe a bit earlier, Everton realised there was no issue and decided they were ready to sign the contract.
“I signed the contract. Everton signed the contract. At the last moment, the player decided not to sign.
“Basically, Balogun’s position was: ‘I’m not feeling comfortable with the way the club treated me. I’m not comfortable with the doubts raised about my future or my health. I have no issue, so I’m not comfortable signing a contract here.'”
Arsenal will retain their sell-on clause for future windows, or indeed for this one, but whether Monaco receive another bid for a similar amount is far from certain. The striker’s deal expires in 2028, and he won’t have a World Cup to showcase his talents again next summer.
Unless the 25-year-old has a fantastic 2026/27 season, it’s likely a transfer next year won’t hit the same figure in that context.
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