Everton in talks with Monaco for US striker Folarin Balogun: Report

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Everton are in preliminary talks with Ligue 1 club AS Monaco for a possible deal for United States striker Folarin Balogun, with only a day remaining in the transfer window.

The US striker made headlines during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, where he was the top scorer for the United States, which reached the round of 16. Balogun has been with Monaco since 2023, making 91 appearances and scoring 31 goals across all competitions.

However, as per a report in The Athletic, Everton are in talks with Monaco over Balogun, which could see the 25-year-old make his return to the Premier League, three years after he joined Monaco from Arsenal.

It added that the striker was likely to leave the Ligue 1 club with no talks of an extension of his contract, which has two more years left on his existing deal.

The Toffees are looking for backups with their striker Beto’s future at the club unsure. Everton are in talks with Fiorentina over Beto’s departure, which would leave the Merseyside club with Thierno Barry as the lone recognised striker.

Everton are also looking to re-sign Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur, with Iliman Ndiaye going to Spurs. They have also penned deals with Brennan Johnson and Tyrique George.

Balogun scored thrice in the FIFA World Cup 2026 for his side, including his twin strike in the group stage clash against Paraguay, which made him the first US player to score twice in a World Cup match since 1930.

He and the USMNT later received flak when Balogun’s one-game suspension for the round of 16 was overturned by FIFA, which came after US President Donald Trump made a call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He was sent off in the round of 32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, but played the round of 16 clash against Belgium, which the US lost 4-1.

–IANS

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