Following Chelsea’s shock 3-0 thrashing by Brentford, it seems this season won’t be smooth sailing for Xabi Alonso’s Blues. While an injury to star striker João Pedro provides some explanation, Chelsea experienced an all-too-familiar inability to control the game, falling victim to ruthless counterattacks from their opponents. At the heart of their problems was the midfield, with an inexperienced Valentin Barco and 36-year-old Jordan Henderson unable to provide stability and being far too easy to play through. While Caicedo’s unavailability is part of the problem, Chelsea’s inability to replace Enzo Fernandez poses a more concerning problem. But how is US striker Folarin Balogun, who is yet to serve his World Cup suspension, at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield woes? Following the £125m sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, a joint Premier League transfer record, on deadline day, Chelsea immediately went into the market to acquire a necessary replacement; their choice, Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara. While Monaco wanted to keep the talented midfielder, they needed to sell before the window closed to comply with UEFA financial regulations, so in theory a transfer should have been simple.
Monaco, however, preferred to sell Folarin Balogun, with a £40m deal being agreed with Everton and the player keen on the move. Everton themselves had sold star attacker Iliman Ndiaye and Beto, their top goalscorer last season, needed offensive reinforcement. In a surprise turn, Everton found an issue in Balogun’s medical and were unwilling to complete the deal, pivoting to Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, bringing Monaco back to the negotiating table with Chelsea. A £47m deal was quickly agreed with Chelsea eager to finalise the move.
Shockingly, Chelsea’s agreement for Camara did not last, with Monaco pulling out of the deal as Everton returned for Balogun, finding no joy elsewhere. This should have concluded the transfer saga: Balogun signs for Everton, Monaco get their sale, and Chelsea attempt to secure an alternative target. However, in a final twist, Balogun rejected the move, feeling disrespected by Everton, and the window slammed shut. The transfer window ended, leaving Everton with a threadbare squad, Monaco risking punishment from UEFA, and Chelsea being unable to replace Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea have already started right-backs Malo Gusto and Reece James in midfield and clearly lack a well-rounded, ball-playing midfielder who could provide control and stability in an already turbulent season at Stamford Bridge.
“Folarin Balogun Australia v USA 19 June 2026-64” by Bryan Berlin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
