Everton have reportedly made an offer for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee as they look for an alternative to Monaco’s Folarin Balogun.

Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

It looks like the Toffees’ bid to bring in Balogun is set to fall through, with journalist Fabrice Hawkins posting below that the USA international has failed his medical…

? Exclusive Folarin Balogun has failed his medical with Everton. The deal could collapse despite Monaco and Everton having reached a full agreement.. @RMCsport pic.twitter.com/cQYp25fdbz

— Fabrice Hawkins (@FabriceHawkins) September 1, 2026

It could be that Everton will now sign Zirkzee instead, but Man Utd have to make a final decision before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

That’s according to the Athletic, who state that Everton’s interest in Zirkzee is directly related to the doubts over their pursuit of Balogun.

It will be interesting to see, however, if United are prepared to part ways with Zirkzee this late on in the window when they could be left a little light up front.

Joshua Zirkzee surely needs to leave Manchester United

Joshua Zirkzee of Man United (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

From Zirkzee’s point of view, however, it would surely be the smart decision to join Everton if possible.

The Netherlands international has fallen down the pecking order after struggling to impress at Old Trafford, so he could do well to try reviving his career with a fresh start elsewhere.

Everton would likely give Zirkzee the opportunity to play more regularly, and he could be a good fit for a mid-table side, rather than one where there’s so much pressure like at United.

Who will Everton sign up front?

Everton fans would surely be pretty happy with either Balogun or Zirkzee, who could both give them something exciting and different in attack.

Balogun looked impressive at the World Cup this summer, and he was always highly regarded during his days as a youngster in Arsenal’s academy.

Zirkzee could also be a good option, though, having shown plenty of potential during his time at Bologna, even if MUFC looked like too big a step up for him.