Everton manager David Moyes conceded he is left to cope with setbacks after transfer deadline day failed to deliver the incoming signings he had hoped for, most notably a move for Monaco striker Folarin Balogun that fell apart at the eleventh hour.
The United States international had appeared close to joining the Merseyside club, having undergone a medical at Everton's Finch Farm training ground. However, complications during that medical examination forced Everton and Monaco to revise the terms of their original £40m agreement. Despite both clubs signing a deal sheet to allow extra negotiating time beyond the 23:00 BST deadline, Balogun ultimately had a change of heart and withdrew from the move entirely.
Balogun had emerged as a late target for Everton following the permanent departure of Guinea-Bissau forward Beto, who sealed a move to Italian side Fiorentina. With Beto gone, Moyes had been eager to bring in another attacking option before the window shut, but the Balogun deal's collapse left that plan in ruins.
"I am disappointed that we didn't do more business and things didn't go our way in the end," Moyes said. "Sometimes in football you have to live with disappointments and move on, and we will."
The Everton boss was keen to stress that no party was to blame for how the Balogun situation unfolded. "It wasn't anyone's fault and ultimately it happens in football as the player had a problem in his medical and that was simply it," he explained. "There are no other stories behind it. That is exactly what happened."
Balogun was not the only forward Everton pursued unsuccessfully in the closing days of the window. The club also made enquiries about Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee and Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham, but neither approach was enough to persuade either player to make the move to Merseyside.
Despite the failed pursuits up front, Everton did manage to complete one significant piece of business, bringing in Manchester City winger Jack Grealish on a season-long loan. However, that arrival was offset by the departure of a key attacking player of their own, as Iliman Ndiaye left to join City in a deal worth £65m. Ndiaye had been a productive contributor for Everton, netting 15 goals and providing four assists across 67 Premier League appearances during his time at the club.
Moyes indicated that part of the rationale behind sanctioning Ndiaye's exit was to generate funds that could be reinvested into the squad, though those funds ultimately went unused on a replacement forward given the Balogun collapse. "We were looking to get some money in," Moyes said. "We lost Iliman Ndiaye, which is someone who we definitely didn't want to lose, but sometimes it is difficult when the likes of Man City come along."
Elsewhere, Everton were unable to land right-back Kenny Tete after Fulham struggled to identify a suitable replacement for him, though they did secure another full-back option in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who joined from Lyon for a fee of £3m.
Reflecting on the overall picture of the window, Moyes acknowledged the mixed nature of Everton's business. "Some things went against us and some things we could have done better," he said. "Ultimately we didn't want to lose a lot of the different players but for reasons that had to happen."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.