Everything's coming up Balogun: USMNT star's value explodes amid Man Utd links
AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun has put his bizarre summer transfer saga behind him and is now slowly getting back to his best.
The United States men's national team star could be playing in the Premier League right now, but things played out differently on Deadline Day, with Balogun turning down a move to Everton after a last-minute change of heart.
The 25-year-old was set to join the Toffees in a €50 million deal, but the transfer hit complications when concerns emerged during his medical. Upset by Everton's lack of trust in his fitness, Balogun no longer wanted to join after the club renegotiated their agreement with Monaco.
This decision had major ramifications for the teams involved, with Everton ending up without a striker and Monaco missing out on a much-needed financial windfall. Ultimately, the concerns over Balogun's fitness proved to be well-founded.
The American was only able to play his first game for Monaco in mid-September due to not being match fit, at which point he had already lost his starting spot to Paris Brunner. From the way the World Cup ended for him to this, it wasn't a great few months for the striker.
Balogun 's fortunes improve
Despite having to play second fiddle to Brunner now, things are starting to look up for Balogun. Although he has yet to start for Monaco, the 25-year-old has now featured in five consecutive matches, and he bagged his first goal of the season in a loss to Paris FC over the weekend.
What's more, Balogun has been belatedly added to Monaco's squad for the Conference League after having been initially omitted in the summer due to his injury and anticipated transfer. He has replaced Ansu Fati, who is expected to be out of action for two months.
He hasn't yet recaptured his red-hot form of the previous season, when he scored 19 goals for Monaco and three for the US at the World Cup, but he is playing more and more minutes.
Following the November update of FootballTransfers' Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm, Balogun is now by some distance the most valuable player in the USMNT pool.
The 25-year-old clocks in at €52.4m, meaning there is an almost €20m gap between him and second-placed Malik Tillman with an ETV of €34.1m. Ricardo Pepi (€32.7m), Weston McKennie (€31.5m) and Tyler Adams (€31.2m) complete the top five.
Balogun on the move?
Heading into January, Balogun is expected to hit the headlines again. Monaco still need money to resolve their financial issues, and the 25-year-old is among the most marketable assets.
Indeed, links with potential suitors are already starting to emerge. Earlier this week, it was claimed that Man Utd had started keeping tabs on Balogun in their search for competition for the currently injured Benjamin Sesko.
Despite his inclusion in Monaco's Conference League squad, the principality club still consider him for sale and will listen to offers in January. Unless they receive an irresistible offer for Brunner, they will look to offload Balogun rather than the 20-year-old breakout star.
A number of other Premier League clubs have also been alerted to his availability, and a return to England surely appeals to the 25-year-old. Balogun grew up in London and came through the Arsenal academy.
In 2023, he reportedly had the chance to join Chelsea but opted to move to Monaco instead following a hugely impressive loan spell at Reims.
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