A few weeks have passed since Everton’s almost‑signing of Folarin Balogun fell apart, and Landon Donovan finally weighed in.
Everton was circling the striker as the 2026 summer window closed, having just off‑loaded Beto to Fiorentina and reportedly ready to spend about £40 million on Balogun from Monaco.
Everything looked set, yet that evening reports surfaced about Everton questioning his fitness. Ultimately Balogun walked away, uneasy with the club’s handling.
Monaco’s chief dismissed the concerns as unfounded, but Donovan later offered context that may explain Everton’s hesitation. For my money, the club overreacted.
Donovan hints Balogun’s USMNT future hangs on clearing his fitness doubts—will he earn a call‑up next spring?
During the international break, Balogun was omitted from the USMNT roster for friendlies versus Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.
Donovan linked the snub to fitness worries, noting Everton’s doubts reportedly stemmed from his running metrics.
On Unfiltered Soccer, Tim Howard asked whether the minor knee issue was merely coincidental with the deal’s collapse or hinted at deeper concerns.
Donovan answered, “That’s a solid question.”
Howard pressed on, “I’m curious because I don’t have the answer myself.”