Close menu

Folarin Balogun: Monaco sign Arsenal forward on five-year deal for £35m

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments253

Folarin Balogun
Folarin Balogun scored two goals in Arsenal's Europa League campaign during the 2020-21 season

Monaco have completed the £35m signing of striker Folarin Balogun from Arsenal on a five-year deal.

The 22-year-old United States forward returns to France after scoring 22 goals on loan at Reims last season.

Balogun had not featured for Arsenal in the Premier League at the start of this season despite first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus being out injured.

He signed professional terms with Arsenal at 17 and made two top-flight appearances in his time with the club.

In Jesus' absence, Eddie Nketiah started the first two matches of the campaign, while Leandro Trossard was favoured in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Fulham.

In a statement on their website, Arsenal said: "We thank Folarin for his contribution to Arsenal, through our academy into the first team, and wish him the best of health and happiness in his new chapter at Monaco."

Born in New York, Balogun moved to London when he was a child and came through Arsenal's academy system.

He played for England age group sides all the way through to under-21s, earning 13 caps at that level, before electing to play for the United States at senior level.

Balogun had loan spells at Middlesbrough and Reims, and was linked with Chelsea before Arsenal accepted Monaco's offer.

Everything you need to know about your Premier League team bannerBBC Sport banner footer

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

253 comments

  • Comment posted by LionelRhodes, at 19:37 30 Aug 2023

    Good business from Arsenal & Edu. Good chance for Flo, so good deal all round. To genuine Arsenal fans on here - lets give Havertz some time! Even Rio F. is surprised by all the negativity surrounding him at the moment. A sign of the times - social media generation - want instant gratification & zero persistence or patience.

    • Reply posted by Oswaldcobblepot, at 19:48 30 Aug 2023

      Oswaldcobblepot replied:
      Exactly fans forget even Henry needed a year to settle before he started to improve and turn out to be the star he was

  • Comment posted by Lonster, at 19:24 30 Aug 2023

    He had a great season at Reims and quite surprised he was sold. I guess after spending close to 200 million quid this summer they need to balance the books.

  • Comment posted by Steve, at 19:30 30 Aug 2023

    Great bit of business considering he nearly left for free... but something in me sees a star striker in Flo and I'd love to have seen him get a real chance this season.

    • Reply posted by Mr and Mrs Banks, at 22:22 30 Aug 2023

      Mr and Mrs Banks replied:
      I hope there’s a buy back clause.
      I love Eddie but he’s not good enough at the highest level, whereas I think Balugun could have been.

  • Comment posted by Donald McRonald, at 19:22 30 Aug 2023

    Good luck Folarin!

    • Reply posted by 9ja_Sphinx, at 21:06 30 Aug 2023

      9ja_Sphinx replied:
      ATB to him.

      Baffling Arteta prefers the ever-injured winger Jesus and the German midfielder to him...while almost everyone know that Arsenal main issue is getting someone consistently score the goals without having to over-work Saka!

  • Comment posted by be77yadb, at 19:44 30 Aug 2023

    Not happy about this. Clubs should be keeping their good young players. Plus I'm hearing Smith-Rowe is linked to Chelsea. Why don't we get some their best players while they get some our worst?

    • Reply posted by nicknack1, at 19:57 30 Aug 2023

      nicknack1 replied:
      Their "best" players wouldn't get in our team these days

  • Comment posted by Johnny_C, at 19:41 30 Aug 2023

    Hope he does well, Arteta obviously didn't fancy him for what ever reason. haven't been impressed with our transfers this summer overall but his is a good fee for a player who didn't seem to be in the coaches plans and would have struggled for game time. Would have liked to have seen him given a chance but Arteta seems to be slow to trust and I don't think it would have happened for him here.

    • Reply posted by gubby allen, at 20:31 30 Aug 2023

      gubby allen replied:
      There must be non footballing reasons factored into it. Arteta puts a lot of emphasis on the right person being brought in and not having anyone who risks upsetting the mood around the team. Peculiar going into a season with one and a half strikers though.

  • Comment posted by pmalone66, at 20:17 30 Aug 2023

    This is a success story. It surprises me that more people can’t see that. Balogun has come through the academy. He hasn’t quite reached the level required in the Premiership, but excelled in the French league. He has been sold for a decent sum. Monaco are happy. Arsenal are happy and the young lad can continue to grow at Monaco. Happy days!

    • Reply posted by be77yadb, at 20:22 30 Aug 2023

      be77yadb replied:
      He should have been given a fair chance at Arsenal. The club he's been at since he was a kid. It's not like we have strikers scoring tons of goals week in week out. Eddie had 6 goals last season, Jesus had 14.

  • Comment posted by rusty, at 19:58 30 Aug 2023

    He'll be sold within 2 seasons for twice that

    • Reply posted by Ashburton Grove, at 20:29 30 Aug 2023

      Ashburton Grove replied:
      If so great we have a 17.5% sell on clause so would be even more cash our way.

  • Comment posted by Adicius, at 19:29 30 Aug 2023

    Should have at least be given a chance. Would have linked up beautifully with Saka and Martinelli, oh well. Now I heard we want to spend 100million plus on Oshimen next season. Crazy, just crazy

    • Reply posted by In the name of the game, at 19:31 30 Aug 2023

      In the name of the game replied:
      Who the heck is he?

  • Comment posted by Markyp1965, at 20:17 30 Aug 2023

    People laying into Kai Havertz are forgetting something. He was a very good player when he joined Chelsea, and they then proceeded to completely destroy his confidence.
    He’ll come good at Arsenal and prove all of the doubters wrong.

    • Reply posted by Tom Pain, at 21:03 30 Aug 2023

      Tom Pain replied:
      Not as a centre-forward.

  • Comment posted by Nolberto Goaliola, at 19:31 30 Aug 2023

    Seems like a lot of wedge for a lad who cannot get in a team ahead of Nketiah.

    • Reply posted by Tom Pain, at 21:03 30 Aug 2023

      Tom Pain replied:
      ...who can't get ahead of Trossard or Havertz!

  • Comment posted by Helpusall, at 21:28 30 Aug 2023

    Why didn't he get a fair chance under Arteta, no he'd rather buy Kai Havertz. A failed striker at Chelsea looks just as good at the Arsenal.

  • Comment posted by Sir Market Riser, at 19:56 30 Aug 2023

    I trust Edu and Arteta a lot more than the armchair pundits, professional or otherwise.

    • Reply posted by be77yadb, at 20:29 30 Aug 2023

      be77yadb replied:
      If we win nothing this season, it'll have been 4 years since we won anything. We'll have spent over £600m under this regime. When do you start asking questions? After 5 years and £1BN spent?

  • Comment posted by irtbxqck, at 22:10 30 Aug 2023

    Scores 22 goals last season, we desperately need a goal scorer so sell him !!!!!!!!!

    • Reply posted by Mate, at 22:36 30 Aug 2023

      Mate replied:
      French ligue is much weaker competition, look at Pepe, then comes over to the Premier League. Maybe should have been given a shot, who knows!

  • Comment posted by gubby allen, at 20:23 30 Aug 2023

    It does make you wonder what the main purpose of sending young players out on loan as Arsenal and others do. Smith-Rowe apart, it seems purely a mechanism to sell them, not get experience. Balogun had a phenomenal season, Patino, Norton Cuffy and Marquinhos did as well as they could have but are nowhere close to the first team and have gone out again. Anyone that good stays at the club.

    • Reply posted by canadian bill, at 20:34 30 Aug 2023

      canadian bill replied:
      What about Saliba then??

  • Comment posted by zeppelinfc, at 20:27 30 Aug 2023

    Foreseeably lacking the ability to perform as well as he did on loan in France and Eddie, although I'm no fan, is proven at the moment better of the two in regards to the Prem. 35m is a good sum for an academy product when considering the balancing of the books.

  • Comment posted by XXXICCCXXXVII, at 21:24 30 Aug 2023

    I would have liked to see Balogun stay. He seems like an incredible prospect and I know we have Jesus and Nketia but Balogan seems like he would have been a fantastic option. I assume its because the lad is ready for first team play consistantly. Great business by Arsenal, they got the value they wanted and kept him away from rivals with multiple showing interest.

  • Comment posted by Dan, at 19:42 30 Aug 2023

    A ridiculous amount of money for a player with 2 EPL appearances (suggesting he isn’t good enough for that level), and a decent loan season in Ligue 1.

    • Reply posted by nicknack1, at 19:58 30 Aug 2023

      nicknack1 replied:
      I suspect Monaco where interested in the Ligue 1 bit

  • Comment posted by David Cattell, at 19:25 30 Aug 2023

    Big mistake

  • Comment posted by Feathers, at 20:21 30 Aug 2023

    This is a great bit of business for a player that has minimal appearances in the PL for Arsenal. The only negative for me is we didn't insist on a buy back clause in the contract. He has the potential to be a great striker but the time isn't right for him at Arsenal currently.

Elsewhere on the BBC