All summer, Everton supporters made one demand clear: David Moyes needed more depth at centre-forward if the club were serious about taking another step forward at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Last season, Thierno Barry and Beto were the two primary options leading the line, with the pair combining for 17 Premier League goals. That partnership, however, has now been broken up after Beto completed a reported £14.6 million move to Serie A side Fiorentina on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Everton appeared to have a replacement lined up, but their plans dramatically unraveled during the closing hours of deadline day when the proposed deal collapsed.
Why Everton May Actually Benefit From Missing Out on Balogun
The Toffees made a late attempt to strengthen their attack by pursuing Monaco striker Folarin Balogun. A reported £45 million agreement was put in place, with the United States international even travelling to Merseyside as Everton looked to complete the transfer.
But the deal quickly became complicated.
Concerns surrounding Balogun’s medical prompted Everton to renegotiate the terms with Monaco. The situation ultimately reached a breaking point, with Balogun himself deciding against completing the move to Everton.
The collapse left Moyes with Barry as his only established senior striker until at least the January transfer window.
Yet what initially looked like a major setback could ultimately prove to be a fortunate escape for Everton.
A £45 million outlay for Balogun would have represented a significant gamble, particularly given his record at the highest level. During the 2025/26 Ligue 1 campaign, he scored 13 goals, ranking behind Esteban Lepaul’s 21 and Joaquin Panichelli’s 16 among centre-forwards.
While 13 goals represented one of Balogun’s better returns, consistency has remained an issue throughout his professional career. The 25-year-old has reached double figures in only two of his six senior seasons, and despite his time in England earlier in his career, he has never scored a Premier League goal.
For Everton, committing £45 million to a striker without a proven Premier League scoring record would therefore have carried considerable risk.
Everton Could Still Find a Better Solution
With the summer window now closed, any attempt to revisit the Balogun situation would have to wait until January. However, Everton may be better served by exploring alternative options rather than immediately returning to the Monaco forward.
For now, Barry is expected to shoulder the attacking responsibility. The French striker has already made an impact this season, scoring during Everton’s Premier League victory over Crystal Palace on the opening weekend.
He then took his form to another level in the Carabao Cup, producing a hat-trick against Preston North End. At 23, Barry has emerged as the club’s leading scorer so far this campaign and suddenly looks like a player capable of carrying a much larger share of the attacking burden.
Still, Everton’s search for additional firepower does not necessarily have to end until January.
The club can continue monitoring the free-agent market, and one intriguing possibility has already emerged. Reports suggest the Toffees are exploring a potential move for Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, who could offer Moyes another experienced option without requiring the kind of transfer fee that made the Balogun deal such a significant gamble.
Everton may have entered deadline day fearing they had been left dangerously short up front. But with Barry finding his scoring touch and the possibility of a free-agent addition still on the table, the failed Balogun deal could eventually be viewed as a blessing rather than a disaster.