Nottingham Forest have been linked with the signing of USMNT World Cup star Folarin Balogun, with AS Monaco now poised to seal the transfer.
With Lorenzo Lucca returning to Napoli following the end of his loan spell at the City Ground, Forest may need to sign a new striker this summer, while Balogun has emerged as a target following his World Cup performance on home soil for the USA.
The 25-year-old has been a top scorer for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, finding the net three times in four games, after catching the eye for Monaco at club level last season.
Teammate Eric Dier said: “[He] It obviously has amazing features to play in transition, very quickly. He’s the best coach that I’ve seen in training, he’s very strong, he makes very good moves, and I think he saw that a little bit today.”
Since arriving at Monaco ahead of the 2023-24 season, the American has scored 31 goals in 91 games, and has also grabbed 13 assists. However, the former Arsenal man could be offered the chance to return to the Premier League this summer.
|
Folarin Balogun’s record in Ligue 1 |
Appearance |
Goals |
|
2022-23 |
37 |
21 |
|
2023-24 |
29 |
7 |
|
2024-25 |
13 |
4 |
|
2025-26 |
30 |
13 |
Nottingham Forest are making a move to sign Folarin Balogun
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest are now linked with a deal for Balogun, who also has interest from Sunderland, Newcastle United, Everton, Leeds United and Fulham.
It is interesting that the French team is ready to release the American £ 40m this summer, as he has only two years left on his contract, and negotiations on a new deal have not yet taken place.
That is despite the centre-forward’s impressive form in the Champions League in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring five goals in ten games.
Why Folarin Balogun could be an upgrade on Lorenzo Lucca
Forest chose not to try to sign Lucca permanently, which may have been the right decision, as the Italian failed to make the impact he wanted, scoring just one goal in nine games in all competitions.
Balogun, on the other hand, found the net 19 times for Monaco, before proving he can handle the pressure of the World Cup, scoring in the USMNT’s 4-1 win in Paraguay’s opener.
As such, the USMNT star could be a real upgrade for Lucca, who has returned to Napoli, but the striker is not the only position where Forest needs to strengthen, following the departure of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City.
The Tricky Trees have also been working hard to sign Lucas Bergvall as a replacement for the England midfielder, but it would take around £50m to tempt Tottenham Hotspur into a sale.
