Everton’s £40m move for US international Folarin Balogun collapsed late on deadline day to leave manager David Moyes with only one striker for the first half of the season.
Everton had agreed a £40m deal for Balogun only for issues with the striker’s medical to place the transfer in doubt after the Merseyside club had sold Beto to Fiorentina and Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City. Enquiries were made to Manchester United for Joshua Zirkzee and Aston Villa for Tammy Abraham but proposed loans for both forwards were rejected.
The structure of the deal was renegotiated late on – Monaco agreed to accept a lower payment up front and more in add-ons – and Everton submitted a deal sheet to complete the transfer in time. But the 25-year-old is said to have changed his mind over the move and walked away at the final moment. The collapse of the deal leaves Thierno Barry as Everton’s one recognised striker and completed a shambolic end to the window by the club’s hierarchy, who were already under pressure having tried to sell Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest.
Everton also hit problems in their attempts to sign right-back Kenny Tete from Fulham. A £9m deal had been agreed for the defender only for Fulham to fail to land their preferred replacement, Andrei Ratiu of Rayo Vallecano. Everton finally concluded their long-running search for a right-back by signing former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon for a fee of around £4.2m. The 29-year-old has agreed a three year contract.
Funds were raised by the sales of Ndiaye to City, for £60m plus £5m in add-ons, Beto to Fiorentina for £15.5m, Tim Iroegbunam to Hull for an initial £15m and Nathan Patterson to Torino for an undisclosed fee.
Grealish returns to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on another season loan from City. The 30-year-old enjoyed a productive spell on loan in 2025-26 before sustaining a fractured foot that ended his campaign in February.
Grealish, who will be out of contract at City when this latest deal ends next summer, could make his second Everton debut against Manchester United on Sunday. He said: “I’m so happy. I think I’m at my best at everything in life, not just football, when I feel loved. That’s what the manager has given me, what my teammates have given me and especially what the fans have given me. Every time I see an Everton fan, it’s just pure love.
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“It means a lot to me and hopefully I’ve made a few Everton fans happy. I had a perfect time here for the first six months, then I stayed around after I got injured. I’ve been watching all the Everton games in pre-season and since the season started. Now I feel ready to go.”