The Mexican midfielder, Erik Lira, had already agreed to join Monaco from Cruz Azul for 8 million euros, with three more of bonus. However, his move depended on Balogun's departure, as Monaco does not have any more vacancies for non-EU players. The American striker, Balogun, was also in England, ready to change clubs, but his transfer was stalled due to medical issues. The Everton understood that Balogun was not fully fit for the transfer, which meant there would be no place for Lira.
Monaco's coach, Filipe Luís, was keen to keep Lamine Camara, a Senegalese midfielder who has become his favorite player this season. Camara has been a key player for Monaco, starting all four official games and scoring a goal in a 3-2 win over Gornik Zabrze. Luís was worried that Camara's departure would be a significant loss for the team.
In the end, Monaco accepted a new offer from Everton for Balogun, but at a lower value than the original offer. However, Balogun decided to stay, which meant that Lira's move was blocked. The failure of the transfer deal has raised concerns among Monaco's board, who were looking to make a profit from the sale of Camara to Chelsea, who were willing to pay 55 million euros for the talented Senegalese player.