Few Ligue 1 strikers have been as prolific as Folarin Balogun over the last season-and-a-half. Indeed, only three players – Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David – scored more goals than the 22-year-old last term. The momentum has continued, as Balogun has started the 2023/24 campaign with three goals in five games for Monaco.
Balogun was linked with several clubs over the summer transfer window. Chelsea and Inter explored the option of signing the centre forward from Arsenal, but Monaco ultimately won the race to sign him, paying a reported initial €30m. Given some of the prices paid elsewhere in the market, that represented good value.
Monaco currently sit top of the Ligue 1 table after eight fixtures of the 2023/14 campaign. There is optimism at Stade Louis-II that the club can challenge for the French title this season, something they have been unable to do since the days of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and co. Balogun is central to the project at the club.
Adi Huttr was appointed manager at Stade Louis-II this summer after leaving Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the 2021/22 season. The Austrian coach is highly-rated and has picked up the pieces after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign under Philippe Clement. His proactive, energetic approach has been adopted by Monaco’s players quickly.
Denis Zakaria joined the Ligue 1 club from Juventus to give Monaco more steel in central midfield. The 26-year-old might have struggled to make much of an impact on loan at Chelsea in the second half of last season, but remains a top level defensive-minded operator in front of the back four. Zakaria has already made a difference.
Mohammed Salisu arrived in a €15m deal from Southampton following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season. While the Ghanian’s career has stagnated, it wasn’t so long ago that he was considered one of the best young defenders in English soccer. A move to Monaco made sense for Salisu who needs to get his career back on track.
Full back Wilfried Singo was also signed from Torino with goalkeeper Philipp Kohn lured from RB Leipzig. Axel Disasi was sold to Chelsea, but Monaco’s squad is in better shape now than it was last season with Balogun the figurehead signed to deliver the firepower needed to challenge for major honours like the Ligue 1 title.
“He’s a young and top-talented striker, who had a very strong season in Ligue 1 last season,” said Monaco director of football Thiago Scuro. “So he’s fully adapted to the league, and [we are] fully confident about what he can do in the league. Now it’s our job to help him reach the next level in his career, as he is recently an international for the US. He’s a young player with an Arsenal academy profile, which [means] he brings very, very good and strong skills with him.”
The US men’s national team is counting on Balogun to continue his upward trajectory between now and the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Gregg Berhalter lacked a natural goal-scorer to lead the line in Qatar last winter and so Balogun was recruited as a dual-national to address a clear deficiency in the USA squad.
Balogun has made a good start to life as a USMNT player, having netted against Ghana this past weekend after scoring in the CONCACAF Nations League final win over Canada. But there is much more to come from him. It is therefore in the USA’s best interests that Balogun be in a good situation at club level and he appears to have this now that he has joined Monaco.
Wissam Ben Yedder has also started the season well with five goals in eight matches and so Balogun has competition for his starting spot in the Monaco team. That, however, will push Balogun to keep improving. The 22-year-old is far from the finished product and competition is important to refine certain areas of his game.
Monaco currently have a two-point lead over PSG at the top of Ligue 1 and will continue to feel the breath of the Qatari-owned club on their neck over the course of the campaign. A clash with PSG will take place in November and the outcome of that match could define the tone of the French title race. Monaco need Balogun to keep scoring.
