Everton's late-summer striker plan has tilted towards Richarlison, with reports saying an agreement in principle has been reached for the Brazil forward. The move is still not done, though, because personal terms are yet to be agreed. If that stalls, Folarin Balogun has emerged as the backup option.
Richarlison first, Balogun behind it
The clearest piece of movement is Richarlison. Metro reported that Everton could bring him back for £35m, four years after he left for Tottenham. He is not arriving with much recent league rhythm either, having made only one Premier League appearance this season.
That is part of why the deal still feels live rather than settled. Everton want the reunion, but the final stretch still depends on terms. Balogun sits behind it as a contingency, and Metro described Everton as “very interested in signing a former Arsenal star”.
Balogun's name carries more than just a scoring fallback. He scored 19 goals in 43 games for Monaco last season, which gives Everton a different sort of option if the Richarlison move unravels. His record is also why the link feels credible rather than speculative noise.
The knock-on effects for Everton's window
This is not the only late move on Everton's desk. Iliman Ndiaye is now set to join Tottenham for £60m, according to Metro, while the deal for Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest, worth £40m, was called off after fans criticised it at Saturday's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. Everton are also said to be keeping their options open on Kenny Tete after a £9.4m fee was agreed with Fulham.
The Balogun fallback also matters because it points to where Everton are trying to keep flexibility. Richarlison is the first choice, but if that move fails, the club already has another striker path mapped out. Arsenal would take 17.5 per cent of any Balogun sale after their 2023 deal worth up to £34m, so a new bid would carry a direct cost beyond Everton's own transfer bill.
Everton still look set to end the window with a new forward, but the route they take is still unsettled. Richarlison remains the main target, and Balogun is the one to watch if the reunion stalls before the deadline.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
