Folarin Balogun has been the star of the summer, with different teams reportedly showing interest in his services. The American striker had a fantastic tenure away from England last season, spending a season-long loan on Reims, scoring 21 goals in 37 appearances for the French club.
His goalscoring exploits in the Ligue 1 led to speculations that the USMNT star would prove a point at Arsenal this season, but that now appears to be unlikely as reports suggest that Balogun may be on his way out of the Emirates Stadium to another Ligue 1 side before the close of the transfer window.
Monaco close to securing Folarin Balogun from Arsenal
Arsenal are famous for their investment in young talents, many of whom usually rise to stardom. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe are just two of the many youngsters that have broken into the first team recently, with the former becoming a Premier League star.
Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun is another player who has made a name for himself at the Emirates Stadium, although most of that could be credited to loan moves away from the club.
Since breaking into the first team in 2020, Folarin Balogun has spent the last two seasons on loan away from the club, with the first at Middlesbrough and the last at Reims. The former England U-18 star, who now represents the USMNT, played for Reims last season and scored a whopping 21 goals for the French side. This has drawn interest from top clubs, including Inter Milan and Napoli, who inquired about his availability.
BREAKING: Monaco are close to a verbal agreement on a fee with Arsenal for striker Folarin Balogun ✍️ pic.twitter.com/lcQTX0zK6G
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 24, 2023
Monaco now seems to have won the race for the signing of the American soccer star, agreeing a fee of €45 million for the Arsenal forward. Monaco will now probably try to act swiftly with the paperwork to finalize the deal as the transfer window closes in less than a week.
Folarin Balogun to become Arsenal’s biggest transfer of all time with potential €45 million deal
Folarin Balogun’s imminent move to Monaco will generate a massive sum for Arsenal, who have been one of the highest spenders of this transfer window. The Gunners have invested heavily in the transfer market, spending over $200 million on Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber, the latter of whom had suffered a significant injury since signing for the club.
✅ At €45m, Folarin Balogun will become Arsenal’s record sale if the move to AS Monaco is finalized. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/wP70j99BOZ
— Eduardo Hagn (@EduardoHagn) August 24, 2023
If the deal taking Balogun to Monaco goes through, he’ll become Arsenal’s most expensive sale, surpassing the €38 million they received for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017 from Liverpool.
Will Arsenal sign another striker before the transfer window closes? What do you think? Tell us in the comments!
