Monaco keep Balogun and beat PSG — so why are they still unhappy?

When a manager says that “no player is more important than the club”, it is usually because the player in question is pushing for a move. Filipe Luís used that line about Folarin Balogun, but the American striker did the opposite on transfer deadline day: he stayed at Monaco instead of joining Everton, even though the two clubs had reached an agreement. Keeping last season’s top scorer should be good news. For Monaco, the joy is incomplete because the club remains caught between sporting ambition and financial pressure — a familiar French football paradox.

Monaco went into deadline day ready to sacrifice Balogun. Matthis Abline had arrived from Nantes early in the window to replace him, and CEO Thiago Scuro said everything was going “as planned”. Then the plan collapsed. Balogun’s move to Everton dragged on, while Monaco agreed to sell Lamine Camara to Chelsea only to renege. The reason was their promise to the DNCG to reduce the wage bill and raise significant funds through sales. By the time Chelsea’s offer was settled, the French window had closed; Camara’s replacement Érik Lira was no longer viable, especially because the non-EU spot occupied by Balogun had not been freed as expected.

The result is that neither Camara nor Balogun left. For most clubs, that would be excellent news. But at a hastily arranged press conference on Wednesday, Scuro pushed back against the idea that Monaco were “the bad guys in the room”. “Unfortunately, we have to face this situation and find solutions in different ways,” he said. What those solutions are remains unclear.

Filipe Luís, meanwhile, described an “imbalanced” squad: too many centre-forwards, a lack of midfield cover and no recognised right-winger after Maghnes Akliouche joined PSG. That imbalance is a problem, but it is also why Monaco can now dream bigger this season. Balogun was their best player last season; Camara has been their best player this season. If the Chelsea saga affected Camara, it did not show on Friday night. He was excellent in the second half as Monaco came from behind to beat PSG 2-1 at the Parc des Princes, with goals from Nazinho and Stanis Idumbo.

“He is unbelievable,” said Luís about Camara. “If he maintains his level, it won’t just be one club — all the big clubs will come for him.” Scuro hinted that even better offers will arrive in the future. An eventual departure is expected, but Monaco should at least try to live in the present while the financial obligations loom.

Monaco have won their first five games in all competitions, scoring 12 goals, without Balogun. Sacking Sébastien Pocognoli in the summer looked harsh, but nobody can complain about the start Luís has made. Not even Arsène Wenger had a better start at Monaco than the Brazilian. Luís praised Luis Enrique as one of the top five managers in history, and the PSG coach returned the compliment. “I was happy when I found out that he was coming to France, then I told myself I maybe shouldn’t be,” he said. The two faced each other in the Intercontinental Cup last year, when Luis’s Flamengo held PSG 1-1 before losing on penalties.

Monaco are the only team to have won their first three Ligue 1 games this season. They have kept their key players apart from Akliouche and have a highly rated manager whose reputation grows every week. There are plenty of reasons for optimism on the surface, but those same reasons cause concern inside the boardroom. That is the paradox weighing on Monaco.

Other talking points

Paris Saint-Germain have extended contracts for Luis Enrique, Fabián Ruiz, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Senny Mayulu and Lucas Beraldo. L’Équipe’s front page read “Ça se prolonge” — a reference both to the new deals and to PSG’s winless run in Ligue 1. They have two points from three games, their worst start since 2026. That season they still won the title. João Neves said they were used to slow starts and still won everything. Luis Enrique is willing to bet they will become champions. PSG are seven points behind Monaco, but few would bet against them.

Marseille are also in trouble. After losing 2-0 to Monaco, Bruno Génésio watched his team fall 3-2 at home to Paris FC. Lassine Sinayoko scored a hat-trick, opening the scoring after 23 seconds. Génésio admitted there is “cause for concern” and pointed to “too many big errors”. But he has few alternatives. The bench was full of raw prospects and players returning from failed loans. Amine Harit said the team are giving 100%, but that may not be enough to secure European football this season.