Folarin Balogun ‘increasingly open’ to Man Utd – but is he the striker Pochettino needs?

Folarin Balogun has had an eventful few months, and the 25-year-old Monaco striker appears to be hoping to cap it with a transfer to Manchester United.

Balogun was caught in the eye of a World Cup controversy after FIFA overturned his red card following a personal intervention by US President Donald Trump, and then a summer move to Everton fell through on Deadline Day.

Meanwhile, he has barely been able to feature at Monaco because of a knee injury sustained on international duty with the USMNT, while club-mate Paris Brunner has hit the headlines in France with a prodigious run of form that has left the fit-again forward struggling to earn a regular starting spot.

With Monaco open to selling the ex-Arsenal youth in January, TeamTalk reports that Man Utd are “in talks” with Balogun, who is “increasingly receptive” to the prospect of moving to Old Trafford. Former USMNT head coach Pochettino is a big part of the draw, it adds.

While the Ligue 1 side would prefer a permanent deal – Balogun’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €52.4 million – a loan is also a possibility.

But is he the right fit for Pochettino’s new project?

Balogun is coming off a mixed 2025/26 season. After a slow start, he was explosive in the second half of the campaign, emerging as one of the top forwards across Europe as he scored in eight consecutive league matches.

This was followed up by three goals in four games at the World Cup, underlining that when he gets going, Balogun is a difficult force to stop.

But is this streaky nature, which is reminiscent of Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford, going to be enough to succeed in England?

Data analytics experts SciSports suggest that it is unlikely. Balogun has a SciSkill, a rating calculated using hundreds of in-game data points, of 86.1, which is lower than the score of Joshua Zirkzee – a player United are attempting to upgrade up.

His rating has been hit by his injury issues over the last six months, yet even at his peak, Balogun has been a Zirkzee-standard player to date in his career.

In terms of fit, United are OK for Balogun but little better. SciSports’ Career Advice tool gives them a Club Fit score of 73 based on various factors such as development, playing time, style and formation.

There is a caveat here, though, that Pochettino’s arrival could see this figure change dramatically as he puts his own stamp on the team. Certainly, his intricate knowledge of Balogun's strengths and weaknesses should certainly help.

Nevertheless, SciSports recommends Nottingham Forest (83), Leeds (81) and even Barcelona (78) as better options for Balogun.

With doubts over his form, fitness and suitability, the American would represent a risk for United. It’s one they could perhaps afford via a loan deal, but not if they were to meet his valuation of around €50m.

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