One failed Deadline Day transfer caused THREE Premier League deals to collapse in extraordinary chain reaction
One Deadline Day disaster ultimately led to THREE deals falling through and has left one club in serious financial trouble.
After what was already a crazy summer of transfer news in the Premier League, Deadline Day didn't disappoint with clubs across the top-flight completing last-minute deals ahead of the window closing.
The likes of Spurs and Chelsea were among the most active clubs in the final hours of the transfer window, while Liverpool and Man United failed to secure any senior signings despite some late efforts.
In the end, it was Manchester City who made the biggest purchase on Deadline Day after confirming a record-matching £125million deal for former Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez in the final minutes of the window.
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But Fernandez's move to City was far from the most dramatic transfer news on Deadline Day, as one transfer saga ultimately led to three different deals falling through.
In the final day of the window it quickly became abundantly clear that Everton wanted to bring in some attacking reinforcement having sold star player Iliman Ndiaye to Man City for £65m while striker Beto joined Serie A club Fiorentina in a £14.58m move.
A loan deal saw England star Jack Grealish, who spent last season at the Hill Dickinson before his injury, return to the club, while Everton also worked on a surprise move for US international striker Folarin Balogun.
Following negotiations, Balogun's move to Merseyside seemed all but confirmed, with the 25-year-old arriving at the club to complete his medical ahead of a £40m move from French club AS Monaco.
However, the deal suddenly was called off after an unknown issue was discovered in Balogun's medical, forcing AS Monaco into a sudden deal to sell star midfielder Lamine Camara in order to make some much needed money.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea had been linked to Camara throughout the summer, but it was the Blues that made an official move on Deadline Day for the 22-year-old, offering £47m for the midfielder to sign a six-year deal pending a medical.
Everything looked set to progress with the sale, with all parties happy, until suddenly just minutes after the 11pm transfer deadline passed, Monaco suddenly pulled out of the deal.
That's because the French club had successfully renegotiated the deal to sell Balogun to Everton, with a sale of their striker deemed to be preferable to letting Camara go.
Chelsea, who had a full written club-to-club agreement with Monaco, are said to be furious about the situation, with Sky Sports reporting that the London club feel that Monaco behaved in a 'extraordinary and deeply unprofessional way'.
The Blues will then have been happy to hear that, in a shocking final twist in the saga, Balogun himself decided to walk away from the Everton move at the last moment.
And with the transfer deadline passed, Everton, Chelsea and, most significantly, Monaco, were forced to make do with everything staying as it was when the day started.
AS Monaco in 'massive financial trouble' following transfer deals collapsing
Although Everton and Chelsea fans will no doubt be frustrated to have missed out on the signings, the repercussions for Monaco could be significantly more damaging.
According to Ben Jacobs, failing to sell either Balogun or Camara has left the French side with serious financial issues, with the money from the moves needed before the window closed.
The transfer sagas may now force Monaco to explore deals elsewhere, with transfer windows still open in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Of course, this could mean having to let one of their star players go for a cut-price deal in order to meet the financial terms needed so late in the summer.
Topics: Premier League, Football News, Everton, Chelsea, AS Monaco
Ben McCrum