Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are battling to sign Monaco centre-forward Folarin Balogun this summer, according to Ekrem Konur.
Folarin Balogun progressed through Arsenal’s academy before making his senior debut in a 3-0 UEFA Europa League victory over Dundalk on 29 October 2020.
Although he enjoyed an outstanding loan spell with Stade de Reims, scoring 22 goals, opportunities with Arsenal’s first team remained limited, with the striker making only 10 senior appearances before completing a permanent move to AS Monaco in the summer of 2023.
Since arriving in France, Balogun has developed into one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, scoring 44 goals across all competitions, including 24 during the most recent campaign.
One of his most remarkable achievements came between 21 February and 19 April, when he found the net in eight successive Ligue 1 matches for Monaco. He has carried that impressive form into the ongoing World Cup, continuing to deliver consistently in front of goal.
Despite the controversies surrounding the 25-year-old’s revoked suspension, he was one of the USMNT’s best players in the tournament, netting three goals in four games before their elimination by Belgium in the round of 16.
Now, according to Konur, Tottenham and Chelsea have entered the race to sign the prolific centre-forward this summer.
Battle
Balogun is under contract at Stade Louis II until 2028 and, given his current form, is expected to command a sizeable fee. It’s no surprise that the transfer journalist adds that Monaco have placed a £42m valuation on the hitman, who is also of keen interest to Fenerbahçe.
Chelsea currently have Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and summer signing Emanuel Emegha as their centre-forward options, while Xabi Alonso stated in his Monday press conference that Nicola Jackson will be joining the team for their Asian tour.
On the other hand, Tottenham clearly need to add a prolific forward to their attack after players like Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani failed to hit double figures.
Although Richarlison netted 11 of the club’s 48 goals last season, the most by any Spurs player, they could benefit from a reliable, prolific goalscorer like Balogun.
The former Arsenal star recorded an impressive average of 0.52 goals per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last season, and his 24 goal contributions were higher than any Tottenham player’s last campaign.
While an argument could be made over the difference in the competitive nature between Ligue 1 and the Premier League, Balogun has demonstrated his goalscoring prowess in European competition, netting five goals in ten UEFA Champions League games for Monaco last season.
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