• NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • World Cup
  • Betting
  • SN 140
  • Archive
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • Soccer
  • NCAAF
  • NCAAMB
  • NCAAWB
  • WNBA
  • Boxing
  • MMA
  • WWE
  • F1
  • NASCAR
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • College
  • High School
  • Darts
  • Horse Racing
  • Olympics
  • More Sports
  • Fantasy
  • Betting
  • Prediction Markets
  • Watch
  • The Scene
  • Tickets
  • Stadium Guides
  • United States [English]
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Brasil
  • Canada
  • India
  • 日本
  • México
  • 대한민국
  • España
  • ไทย
  • United Kingdom
  • United States [Español]
  • Việt Nam

It's been one of the bigger summers for Folarin Balogun, who has taken the United States by storm with his stellar performances throughout the opening two group games of the Americans' FIFA 2026 World Cup campaign. The Brooklyn-born forward would bag a brace in his national team's opening match against Paraguay, filling in for the offensive threat that Christian Pulisic usually provides, as the AC Milan star departed the field at halftime due to a calf injury.

While Balogun didn't have his best performance against Australia, receiving a yellow card while failing to register a single shot, it wouldn't be enough to see his team struggle, as they took down the Socceroos, 2-0, which subsequently booked their tickets to the knockout stages. Their second straight win also set the Americans up to have a perfect record leaving their group stage, barring an unfavorable result against Turkey on Thursday, who have already been eliminated from the tournament.

But it's beginning to look like Balogun's summer could get much busier, as he's expected to depart his Ligue 1 club, AS Monaco, at the end of the season, according to recent reports.

Balogun to return to England?

As reported by The Athletic's David Ornstein, the American forward's performances have caught the eyes of teams all around Europe, including those in England and Italy, who stood out to the senior reporter, with no clubs being named at the moment.

"There are plenty of suitors, and early discussions have taken place, although nothing is advanced, and a firm direction of travel has yet to emerge," stated Ornstein. "There is interest from the Premier League — where his homegrown status is particularly attractive — and elsewhere in Europe, including Italy."

A move to the Premier League would bring Balogun back to English football, having been a product of Arsenal's academy, having spent time in the Championship with Middlesbrough before departing the Emirates for Monaco in 2023. This move, along with his recent performances, has seen Balogun's stock rise, recording 40 goal involvements across 91 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, which goes to show that he's up to play in one of Europe's bigger leagues.

If a move away from Monaco is to take place in the Summer window, it's believed that it would have to be for a bid approximately worth €50 million, according to Ornstein.

"It is anticipated that Monaco will seek a fee in the region of €50million (£43.2m; $57.1m) for Balogun..." Ornstein reports.

All eyes will be on how Balogun performs during the Americans' closing group stage game against Turkey on Thursday night, with kick-off from Los Angeles slated for 10:00 p.m. EST.

Declan Harris

Declan Harris is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He graduated from Temple University's Klein College of Media and Communication in 2023 and has written for On SI, CityXtra and Newsweek.

Source: Sporting News