Monaco are expected to face a summer decision over Folarin Balogun, with interest building after his World Cup form and a reported asking price of about €50m. He scored twice against Paraguay in the opener, and became the first American male player to score twice in a World Cup match since 1930. That is the sort of stage that changes how clubs look at a forward.
Balogun's World Cup lift
The numbers at club level are already solid. Balogun has 31 goals in 91 Monaco appearances, while his record for the United States stands at 11 goals in 29 caps. Put together, it explains why this has moved beyond a routine summer reshuffle. David Ornstein said a move away from the French principality is heavily anticipated this summer as the striker favours a change of scenery.
Balogun's interview comments to standard.co.uk also point in the same direction. He said the conversations at Arsenal were good, but that the decision was more about what the club wanted to do and what would be best for him. Arsenal did not insert a buy-back clause when he left for Monaco in 2023, although they did include a 17.5% sell-on clause.
Arsenal's cut if Monaco sell
That sell-on clause is the other reason this feels bigger than a simple exit. Monaco are holding out for about €50m, and Arsenal would still have a claim on part of any fee if that figure is reached. The original Monaco deal was reported differently by sources, with one account putting it at €40m including €10m in add-ons and another describing it as €30m plus €10m in add-ons.
Monaco's stance leaves the forward in a fairly clear market. The club can point to the goal return, the United States record and the World Cup surge. Premier League clubs are circling, and the expectation now is that the summer will be about who pays up rather than whether Balogun is available. At the price Monaco want, that process should move quickly once bids start to arrive.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →