Folarin Balogun has completed his move from Arsenal to Monaco in a transfer worth €40million (£34.4m; $43.4m) after add-ons.
The two clubs agreed a fee of €30m plus €10m in add-ons for the USMNT striker, and Arsenal have inserted a 17.5 per cent sell-on clause into the deal.
The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Ligue 1 club.
The Athletic reported earlier this month that Monaco had a formal offer for Balogun rejected by Arsenal. The Ligue 1 side’s sporting director, Thiago Scuro, has a strong relationship with Edu, his opposite number at Arsenal.
He spent last season on loan at Stade Reims in France, scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals in 37 appearances but has been clear he wants first-team football.
Balogun made just two Premier League appearances during his time at Arsenal, and played a total of ten first-team matches across all competitions, scoring two goals.
Despite playing for England at youth level, up to the Under-21s, Balogun — who was born in the United States to Nigerian parents — opted to switch to the USMNT in May.
He has played twice for the USMNT since his switch and scored against Canada in the Nations League final in June.
Folarin Balogun gets his first goal for the USA 🇺🇸
Gio Reyna gets his second assist of the night on a slick pass inside the box to the newest #USMNT striker.
2-0
🎥@CBSSportsGolazo #CONCACAFNATIONSLEAGUEpic.twitter.com/j7fj4FLQdW — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 19, 2023
What did Balogun prove at Reims?
Analysis by Jordan Campbell and Liam Tharme
“Balogun has shown signs that he is a man for the big occasion with five match-winning goals and another 10 to open the scoring. These are goals when the match is in the balance and the game is tight.
“Much is made of the quality gap between Ligue 1 and the Premier League, but the fact he scored against so many teams is also a fairly good indicator that he can adapt his game against different types of defences.
“He scored against the champions Paris Saint-Germain, registered home and away against second-placed Lens and third-placed Marseille, and also registered a brace against fourth-placed Rennes and a goal against sixth-placed Monaco. He was not just filling his boots against the relegated teams.
“The thing that allows him to get into scoring positions so often is his movement. It is his biggest strength and it is promising that, at a young age, he understands his abilities so well.”
Balogun’s switch from England to USMNT
Paul Tenorio has delved into the story of how the striker’s international switch of allegiance came about, including meetings, Zoom calls and anNBA game, and how it was then presented to the world…
“Conversations with Balogun’s team to plan out the announcement also started immediately. Balogun wanted certain themes to be prominent: the idea of coming home, and elements of New York and Brooklyn.
“They needed to schedule a photoshoot and went to work planning content for social media. U.S. Soccer senior manager of content Jeff Crandall reached out to an artist, Robert Generette III, who goes by the name Robzilla on social media. Generette had previously done a comic-like illustration of Yunus Musah for U.S. Soccer.
“They asked him to get to work on another piece, but they couldn’t name the player. He mocked up a newspaper front with a U.S. player, art that would eventually publish on the announcement day.”
GO DEEPER
Folarin Balogun’s USMNT switch: How it happened, step by step
(Photo: John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
