- Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said he was “dissatisfied” with AS Monaco’s summer transfer window after the club could not fully carry out its plan
- Folarin Balogun’s failed move to Everton left Monaco unable to complete planned sales and limited recruitment in other areas
- Safouane Benzahra, Nahek Haddani and Najd Ajroud are all set to sign professional contracts with AS Monaco
Scuro Admits Monaco Did Not Execute Summer Plan
AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro has openly acknowledged frustration with the club’s summer transfer activity, telling RMC Sport show Rothen S’enflamme that the window did not unfold as intended.
🗣💬 Thiago Scuro, directeur général de l'AS Monaco, est l'invité de @Rothensenflamme : "Le plan d'origine est de trouver une porte de sortie à Balogun cet hiver. La vérité est que je ne suis pas satisfait du mercato. La dynamique n'a pas été parfaite." pic.twitter.com/eKn9n5hycx
— Rothen s'enflamme (@Rothensenflamme) September 16, 2026
Monaco entered the summer having made commitments to the DNCG regarding player sales. The club sought to respect those commitments until the final hours of the window, but the plan was disrupted when Folarin Balogun’s move to Everton collapsed.
That failed exit for the USMNT international had wider consequences. Monaco had expected to sell Balogun, and the inability to complete that deal prevented the club from strengthening in other sectors. Manager Filipe Luís has since acknowledged an “imbalance” in the squad.
“I am not happy with everything that we did during the summer and it wasn’t possible to execute our plan 100%. To be honest, no, I am not satisfied with our summer transfer window. If we had different timings to offload players, maybe we would have had a bit more time to sign others,” said Scuro.
Squad Imbalance And January Corrections
The imbalance identified at Monaco is particularly visible in attack. The squad contains too many centre-forwards, while there is no recognised right-winger. Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis was a target in that position.
Midfield was another area Monaco attempted to address. Scuro had previously confirmed that the club also sought to sign Erik Lira.
Speaking about the next opportunity to adjust the squad, Scuro referred to making “corrections” in the January transfer window. He also admitted the current imbalance and stated that the priority would be to offload Balogun.
Academy Prospects Set For Professional Deals
While Monaco were left frustrated by parts of their senior transfer strategy, the club are also moving to secure several young players on professional terms.
L’Équipe reported earlier this week that Melvin Gomes was set to sign his first professional contract with formative club AS Monaco, despite strong interest from Chelsea. The same publication has now added that Gomes is not the only player expected to put pen to paper in the coming days.
Safouane Benzahra (18), a Morocco youth international, is set to be rewarded with a first professional deal by Les Monégasques. Benzahra has already been involved with Monaco’s first team this season, featuring in both of the club’s UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers and also playing a handful of minutes in Ligue 1.
Nahek Haddani is also expected to sign his first professional contract. The 17-year-old attacker is set to receive his first professional deal. Franco-Tunisian attacking midfielder Najd Ajroud will also sign a three-year deal with AS Monaco. The left-footer impressed with the club’s U19s last time around and has already caught the eye of Filipe Luís.
