Everton made an emergency loan bid worth approximately £10 million for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee on deadline day, following the abrupt collapse of their pursuit of Folarin Balogun. The Goodison Park club, scrambling to reinforce their attacking line in the final hours of the window, saw their proposal for the 25-year-old rejected by the Old Trafford hierarchy, who cited the inability to secure a replacement in the time remaining.
The Breakdown of an Emergency Contingency
The pursuit of Zirkzee was a reactive measure triggered by the failure to land Balogun. As first reported by The Guardian, the deal for the former Monaco striker fell apart after medical assessments revealed complications, leading the player to walk away from the transfer entirely, despite the clubs having submitted a deal sheet to the league. According to reports on Sky Sports, Everton immediately pivoted to Zirkzee to prevent a complete lack of depth. However, any hopes of a late breakthrough were extinguished quickly. Writing for Football365, Laurie Whitwell confirmed that Manchester United turned down the proposal, as there was insufficient time for the club to source a comparable replacement for the Dutch forward.
Squad Depletion and Attacking Crisis
The failure to secure either target leaves Everton in a precarious position for the opening months of the season. The club entered the final day of the window having already sanctioned the permanent exits of Beto to Fiorentina and Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City, significantly eroding their attacking options. Following the departures of these key figures and the unsuccessful pursuit of both Balogun and Zirkzee, Thierno Barry remains the only recognised senior forward at the club’s disposal. Zirkzee, who has found opportunities limited under Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, currently sits behind Benjamin Sesko in the tactical hierarchy. For Everton, the inability to bolster their forward line leaves a glaring gap in the squad that will likely test the resourcefulness of the current setup until the January window opens.
