Everton's shambolic end to the transfer window has resulted in open revolt from supporters, placing fierce scrutiny on owners The Friedkin Group and chief executive Angus Kinnear. The final straw was the bungled deadline day, where Folarin Balogun's proposed £40m move from AS Monaco collapsed after issues with his medical, leading the United States striker to walk away from Finch Farm without signing.

Everton had scheduled an 8am flight for Balogun, but delays in documents from Monaco and medical problems prompted a renegotiated deal. The club also pursued loan moves for Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee and Aston Villa's Tammy Abraham, but both fell through. A revised agreement with Monaco was reached minutes before the deadline, but Balogun then changed his mind, with Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro saying the player was "not comfortable" with his treatment.

The chaos came hours after Everton sanctioned Beto's £15.5m move to Fiorentina, while Iliman Ndiaye completed his £65m move to Manchester City. Kinnear had recently told BBC Radio Merseyside the squad was "in a good place," a claim now widely disputed. Manager David Moyes is left with just one striker in Thierno Barry and only 18 senior outfield players, with fans applying the word "failure" to the owners and chief executive.