It hasn't been a great week for Folarin Balogun. Not in the slightest.
On Tuesday, Balogun was set for a transfer to Premier League side Everton, but a failed medical caused a complete deterioration in any prospect of Balogun leaving Ligue 1 side AS Monaco at this moment. Even with a reworked agreement in mind, Balogun opted to remain in France for the time being. But that decision might just come back to haunt him big time.
Not only are the striker's options to leave this fall dwindling quickly, but he's also set to miss European competition with Monaco entirely; the club recently opted to exclude him from its Conference League roster. Such a decision comes after Balogun had been excluded from participation in Monaco's opening Ligue 1 matches.
Even though it is possible that a transfer is still in the works, the reason for Balogun's exclusion isn't clear.
The bigger picture is far less brighter for Balogun
Monaco is unbeaten in their opening three Ligue 1 matches of the season. Those games include a 1-0 win over Le Havre, a 2-0 win against Marseille, and a 2-1 upset of five-peat domestic/repeat European champions PSG. Even though it is early on in the campaign, Monaco is already seven points clear of PSG in 12th.
In terms of the continental picture, a lack of European football will be detrimental to Balogun's hopes of another big move. This is especially true when considering what he can bring to a team in Europe; during the 2025-26 Champions League, Balogun recorded five goals in 10 appearances for Monaco.
But what about the USMNT?
Yeah, don't get too excited. The success seen by Americans in recent times, and the fact that a lot of USMNT/USYNT players are getting moves to European sides, could very well play against Balogun at this point in time.
Sebastian Berhalter's play in Vancouver earned him a transfer to Middlesbrough, linking him with fellow countryman Aidan Morris; the two combined on the club's lone goal against Burnley on Wednesday, with Berhalter providing the assist. Players like Sergino Dest, who has two goals and two assists through his first three matches of the Eredivisie campaign with PSV, are doing well to justify their spot in Mauricio Pochettino's lineup, while younger stars like Julian Hall are setting themselves up well for future inclusion. That only further complicates things for Balogun, and if push comes to shove, Pochettino could have to think twice about including him for the international window.
The way this whole situation is now panning out has easily hurt what could have been a fresh start for Balogun ahead of a pivotal campaign. Instead, he's right back where he started, but what once was a failed medical could very well become something much greater and more detrimental.
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