Folarin Balogun warned off Man Utd transfer - but should he really steer clear?
Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has advised Monaco star Folarin Balogun against joining Manchester United.
Over the past week or so, the Red Devils have emerged as a rumoured destination for the United States men's national team ace, who is expected to belatedly depart his club in January.
In the summer, Balogun was on the verge of joining Everton in a €50 million deal, but the transfer collapsed in dramatic fashion on Deadline Day, with a last-minute change of heart leaving the Toffees without a striker and Monaco without much-needed funds.
After recovering from a knee problem, the 25-year-old was reintegrated into the principality club's squad in September. He has started seeing more and more minutes despite losing his place to breakout star Paris Brunner.
His situation is improving after his difficult end to the summer. Balogun has replaced the injured Ansu Fati in Monaco's Conference League squad, and he has become the US's most valuable player by quite some distance, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) now sitting at €52.4 million.
Could Balogun work at Man Utd?
With Monaco still in need of funds, Balogun will likely depart in January. Could a move to Man Utd really be on the cards? The Red Devils need a striker, but they might struggle to muster the resources to fund a permanent mid-season deal for him.
Balogun, for his part, should stay as far away from Man Utd as possible - at least that is according to long-time former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who has advised the American against a move to Old Trafford.
"No, no, no, not good for Man United, not good for Flo Balogun himself," Deeney said on CBS Sports (via GOAL). "It just doesn't work. Man United haven't given you a record in the last decade of a striker who has gone in and done well. They don't give you the support mechanism for that."
Does he have a point? Potentially, data from SciSports suggests. Using the analytics firm's Career Advice tool, we can see that Balogun and Man Utd could make for a complicated relationship.
On the one hand, the Red Devils receive a solid if unspectacular Club Fit score of 75 out of 100, which is primarily due to the development opportunities a club of that stature could offer to a player like Balogun.
However, when it comes to the categories that are arguably more important in the short term, Man Utd do not appear to be a good option. SciSports does not believe that he is a good stylistic fit for Michael Carrick's approach.
Of course, there is the sizeable caveat here that the 45-year-old might no longer be in the job by the time the January window opens. Man Utd could therefore end up being a good destination if the right coach is hired. That's quite a large "if," admittedly.
Whether or not Balogun would suit Man Utd is perhaps a moot discussion. Earlier this week, reports suggested that the striker is more likely to move to Serie A than to the Premier League.
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