AS Monaco reach agreement with Arsenal for USMNT forward Folarin Balogun
Balogun, who spent last year on loan at French side Reims, will join AS Monaco from the Gunners on a five-year deal.
AS Monaco have reached an agreement with Arsenal to sign USMNT forward Folarin Balogun, as reported by RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
Balogun, who spent last year on loan at French side Stade de Reims, will join Monaco from the Gunners for a reported fee of €45million ($48.5m) plus add-ons and is expected to sign a five-year deal.
Monaco saw their initial offer for the 22-year-old rejected by Arsenal. Serie A outfit Inter were also interested in a move for the talented forward but eventually pulled out of the race to land the player born in New York.
Balogun in 2022-23
Balogun had an impressive loan spell with Reims in France last season but returned to his parent club Arsenal. Playing under Reims’ highly-rated head coach Will Still in Ligue 1 last season, he scored 21 goals in 37 league games.
🚨Accord Arsenal / Monaco pour le transfert de Folarin Balogun 🇺🇸💫
— Fabrice Hawkins (@FabriceHawkins) August 24, 2023
🔹Indemnité d’environ 45M€ bonus compris
🔹Contrat de 5 ans
🔹Encore quelques détails à régler pour finaliser l’opération. Toutes les parties sont confiantes pic.twitter.com/ADdFcuimLt
Balogun chooses USMNT
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Earlier this year, Balogun decided to switch international allegiances and represent the USMNT. He was previously eligible to play for England, but chose to represent the US.
The forward’s decision is seen as a major boost for the USMNT as they strengthen their squad ahead of hosting the 2026 World Cup. With no competitive senior appearance for England, Balogun remained eligible to switch his allegiance to the US.