Folarin Balogun 'here wo go' imminent, says Fabrizio Romano

Stuart Telford

• 25 Aug 2023 16:50 BST
• 3 min read

Folarin Balogun is on the cusp of securing a transfer away from Arsenal - and it won't be to another Premier League club according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.

Balogun has been a hot topic this summer after scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals whilst on loan with Reims last season, but with first-team opportunities at a premium with Arsenal this.

Arsenal have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as attacking options ahead of Balogun in the pecking order, and they have made it clear since the start of the transfer window that they would be willing to cash in.

READ: Chelsea 'hold talks' over €58m-rated Arsenal star

At home, Chelsea and West Ham were credited with an interest, while Inter Milan reportedly wanted him as an alternative to Romelu Lukaku, but it appears that Monaco have now won the race for his signature.

"In the next days, Folarin Balogun will leave Premier League football," Romano told his official YouTube channel.

'Final details then 'here wo go''

"There were discussions between Arsenal and Chelsea but because Chelsea were discussing the Romeo Lavia deal - he has the same agent as Balogun - they had a discussion about the Balogun situation… but now Flo Balogun is going to Monaco.

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"An agreement is imminent, something around €45 million. They're just discussing payment terms. Arsenal want good payment terms for the deal so they're just discussing final details then it's going to be 'here we go' for Balogun to Monaco, with a medical test over the weekend probably."

Balogun is valued at €19.2 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm with an ETV of €23.6m, so Arsenal are doing well selling him for approximately twice as much.

Balogun is only 22, though, and Monaco are getting a proven Ligue 1 commodity with the deal. As well as his 21 goals and two assists last season, Balogun also received eight progressive passes per 90 minutes and averaged two shot-creating actions.

A former England under-21 international, the New York-born striker switched his international allegiance to the USMNT in May, and now has one goal in two appearances with them.