- Folarin Balogun, who made an impression while on loan at Reims last season, has signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 club Monaco, the two clubs.
- Balogun leaves Arsenal after 15 years.
- Balogun was a standout in Ligue 1 for Reims, scoring 21 goals in 37 league games and 22 goals in 39 games overall.
Folarin Balogun, who made an impression while on loan at Reims last season, has signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 club Monaco, the two clubs confirmed on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old joined the Ligue 1 team for an undisclosed fee that is estimated to be worth roughly £38 million, and he has signed a deal that will keep him there through 2028.
Balogun leaves Arsenal after 15 years of affiliation. He joined the club in 2008 when he was eight years old.
Nevertheless, after making his senior team debut in 2020, he only played in 10 games and has spent the last season and a half on loan.
READ: Timothy Castagne joins Fulham from Leicester City
In his most recent loan season, Balogun was a standout in Ligue 1 for Reims, scoring 21 goals in 37 league games and 22 goals in 39 games overall.
Balogun performed well for Reims last season. Photo/Goal
In the French premier division last season, only Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette, and Jonathan David scored more goals than the American international.
During the second half of the 2021–22 season, Balogun also spent time on loan at Middlesbrough, where he scored three goals in 20 appearances for the Championship team.
The attacker joins Denis Zakaria, Mohammed Salisu, Wilfried Singo, and Philipp Kohn as Monaco’s fifth and most costly summer additions.
Les Monegasques have an undefeated record to open the new Ligue 1 campaign, collecting seven of the first nine available points to lead the early standings.
When they host Lens on Saturday, Balogun may make his debut for his new team.
Chelsea’s hunt for Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe.Photo/teamTALK
Emile Smith Rowe, a striker for Arsenal, is reportedly the subject of a secret Chelsea offer.
Mauricio Pochettino has a team that he can develop over the next several years thanks in part to the Blues’ consistent activity throughout the summer transfer window.
Injuries have had a major impact on Chelsea’s lack of depth in the final third, despite the abundance of quality that has arrived at Stamford Bridge.
Armando Broja must demonstrate his fitness after sustaining a catastrophic knee injury in December, keeping him out until the end of the year, and Christopher Nkunku is out until the end of the year with a hamstring injury.
At news conferences, Pochettino has stated several times that he wants to establish a new offensive strategy as quickly as possible.
The Argentine has intimated that there is more interest in a temporary solution than a long-term deal being offered given the quality that will hopefully return to the club in due time.
In his 97 appearances in all competitions, the England international, a lifelong Gunners supporter, has provided 18 goals and 11 assists.
Despite such respectable stats, Smith Rowe has played in just 161 Premier League minutes overall since the start of the previous campaign, mostly because of injuries.
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