24 August 2023 , 21:44
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Chelsea have been prevented from signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, with the Gunners now reportedly in agreement to sell him to Monaco.
The Blues made a late run at the United States men's national team star, believing they could convince him to move to Stamford Bridge, but fell short in their pursuit despite his interest in the switch. Balogun's imminent return to Ligue 1, first reported by RMC Sport and confirmed by multiple publications, comes after he excelled on loan in France last season at Reims.
The 22-year-old scored 21 league goals in a campaign so impressive that Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot declared his club wasn't big enough to keep him. "He is a player that should go even higher," the executive said. "So obviously we'll ask him if he feels good here, and at his club, but I think that now, he will need to take a step up."
Indeed, Balogun will now go from Ligue 1's 11th-placed team in 2022/23 to the one which finished sixth and is leading the way in the early stages of this campaign. Monaco's fee for Balogun has not been revealed, but Mirror Football recently reported their first bid for the American player was £34m. Chelsea, meanwhile, come away empty-handed as they search for a traditional centre-forward before the transfer deadline.
For Arsenal, selling Balogun always seemed the most likely solution to an overcrowded group of attackers which includes the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz. Arsenal brought him on their pre-season tour of the United States but the club determined this was potentially the best moment to cash in on him.
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Even better for Mikel Arteta's side, they didn't have to endure the risk of selling him to Chelsea, where a doomsday scenario could have seen him haunt them for many years in the Premier League. There was no chance Balogun would sign off on another loan, with the forward telling reporters earlier this summer, "I'm not sure [about] the discussions that are going to take place. I'm not sure what's going to happen. But I'm just committed to now; I try to stay present. I obviously want to enjoy the moment with my team and my family. What I can say is that I definitely won't go on loan again."
Chelsea made a late approach for Folarin Balogun but have lost out to Monaco. (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)Balogun was born in New York but made his name at youth level in Arsenal's system. Eligible to play internationally for the U.S., England and Nigeria, he dramatically left Three Lions' Under-21 training because of injury earlier this year before jetting across the Atlantic to visit Orlando, where the USMNT were holding their training camp.
Not long after, Balogun snubbed England by making a permanent commitment to play internationally for the Stars and Stripes with an eye on the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host.