Juventus have made Folarin Balogun the No.1 name on their January shortlist, and the Hale End graduate could leave Monaco in a deal reportedly worth €48 million.
According to Tuttosport, the Italian giants see the 25-year-old as their main winter target for both technical and financial reasons, as they look to fix the problems in their attack. The report was picked up by now.arsenal.
It is a quick turnaround for a striker whose last year had plenty of highs. Folarin Balogun scored three times as the United States reached the World Cup knockout rounds this summer, finishing as their top scorer, and his 13 Ligue 1 goals last season were the fourth most in the division.
Why Folarin Balogun is out of favour at Monaco
This season has gone very differently. Balogun has played only 74 minutes across four appearances, with Paris Brunner and Matthis Abline, signed from Nantes for around €25 million, ahead of him in the pecking order.
He was left out of the squad for Monaco’s 2-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain in September and was not registered for the Conference League league phase. Not exactly the treatment you give a player you plan to build around.
The trouble started on deadline day. Balogun was poised for the move to Everton that collapsed hours before the window shut. Monaco’s Thiago Scuro said Everton queried Balogun’s medical results, and the player then refused to sign, unhappy with how the club had handled the matter.
Folarin Balogun to Juventus: how the deal could work
With his contract running to 2028, Tuttosport believes Balogun will depart either in January or at the end of the season. Juventus want a forward with different attributes from those Luciano Spalletti currently has, and they are also in the market for a left-back.
Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade both arrived last summer, so this would be another addition to the front line rather than a straight replacement.
The agent could be key. Balogun is represented by Jorge Mendes, who has a strong relationship with Juventus, and Tuttosport reports he is prepared to offer his client to the Bianconeri.
Who else are Juventus watching?
Balogun is not the only name on the list. Juve are also keeping tabs on Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth, who has returned from injury and is fighting for a place in Diego Simeone’s attack, and Frosinone’s Antonio Raimondo, though a January deal for the latter could prove tricky.
Arsenal’s academy strikers are still making noise
Balogun came through the Gunners’ youth ranks before spells at Middlesbrough and Reims, then joined Monaco in August 2023 after just two league outings for Arsenal. He has since scored 31 goals in 91 games for the French club.
He is one of several Hale End products building careers away from the Emirates. Joe Willock scored on the opening day of the Premier League season for Newcastle in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, and one stats provider credits him with two goals in his first six league games.
Emile Smith Rowe has had a quieter start at Fulham, whom he joined in August 2024, with only a handful of league appearances and no Premier League goal yet this season, though he has scored in the League Cup. Eddie Nketiah has started well at Crystal Palace, with one goal and two assists in four appearances, including his first of the season in a Europa League win over Lech Poznan.
Is Juventus the right move for Folarin Balogun?
I think it makes sense for everyone. Monaco have moved on, Balogun needs minutes, and 74 of them in a season is no way for a World Cup top scorer to live. A €48 million valuation still shows how highly he is rated.
For Arsenal fans it is a bittersweet one to watch. After Fleetwood exposed how thin the Gunners’ own front line is, a Hale End No.9 heading to Turin will raise a few eyebrows in N5. Serie A could be where his career gets moving again.
