Everton used Folarin Balogun concerns to 'renegotiate with Monaco and slash his wages'
Folarin Balogun's medical issues should have been overlooked as Everton's concerns ultimately led to the deal breaking down.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who thinks that the club are at fault for the deal not happening.
Balogun was linked to Everton throughout the summer but they only decided to accelerate a move late on in the transfer window.
The Toffees agreed a £40million fee with Monaco for his services on Monday and he travelled to Finch Farm to complete a move on Deadline Day.
Doubts began to emerge that the move would be completed after an issue came up in the medical, but Everton renegotiated Balogun's deal to force it through.
He then decided to walk away from the switch at the eleventh hour after becoming disillusioned, leaving Everton with just one senior striker for the time being.
Everton blamed for Folarin Balogun failure after medical concern
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has experience of turning down the chance to sign a player after finding an issue with their medical.
Balogun's problem is believed to relate to his knee, although he has not missed a game with such an issue in his six-year professional career so far.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained that he feels like Everton should not have flagged an issue with his medical as it contributed to his ill-feeling towards the deal.
He said: “I've already heard the fan groups, you know, reading their statements, everybody's up in arms. Listening to the radio this morning it was absolutely full of Everton fans that have just had enough asking for Kinnear’s head, etc.
"But if you look at the way the deal apparently has broken down, and I think this is really the truth of the situation, though obviously I wasn't there, but it's starting to make sense that there was a problem with his knee that they found in the medical.
“Now, just a bit of experience here, I have been involved in a number of transfers when I've had medical advice from the doctor that there are knee issues. In one case, I rejected a transfer. It was a player from Chelsea to Everton.
"I rejected the transfer on the medical advice. In two other cases where there have been knee problems, we've gone ahead and we've gone through and signed the player, and both have played almost every game for three or four seasons.
“You've really got to work closely with your medical team. You've got to understand and really cross-question them and really get to the bottom of the issue. Even though you're not a medical expert, you've got to understand just how committed they are to the problem developing. And also you've got to look at the players’ past experience and when this problem developed, and if they have played through it.
“Now in Balogun’s case, it appears it was not a major knee situation, but Everton were using it to try and renegotiate with Monaco and also renegotiate some of the players’ wages and put more of it on bonuses.
"I think he played 40 games in the season in France. He played at the World Cup. So it obviously wasn't that bad in terms of, you know, an age issue. Was it something that was going to develop?”
Wyness angry with Everton board over Harrison Armstrong saga
The Friedkin Group and CEO Angus Kinnear have lost the backing of many fans after Everton's turbulent end to the window.
Wyness has exclusively told Football Insider that the Toffees' board members deserve criticism right now, particularly due to their handling of Armstrong's potential move to Nottingham Forest.
Everton accepted an offer for Armstrong from Forest over the weekend, but quickly pulled out of talks after huge backlash from supporters online and in-person.
They have left David Moyes' squad short for the time being, with just 18 senior, outfield players at his disposal until January.