Crystal Palace have been named among the Premier League clubs watching Folarin Balogun as the Monaco striker’s summer market starts to sharpen.
According to CaughtOffside, Palace are one of six English sides looking at the United States international, alongside Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. The report claims Monaco would prefer to keep the 24-year-old, but have indicated a package worth around £43 million could bring the conversation alive.
Balogun’s value has been pushed higher by his World Cup form. Sky Sports noted that he scored twice in the United States’ 4-1 opening win over Paraguay, adding another layer to a season in which he also struck 19 times in all competitions for Monaco.
Folarin Balogun scored twice in USA’s World Cup opener with Paraguay.
Balogun Price Sets Early Palace Test
For Palace, the link is easy to understand. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s contract position has already left the club with a long-term centre-forward question, and Pierre Sage’s squad will need enough firepower to handle Premier League and European commitments.
Balogun would not be a cheap opportunistic move. His profile is Premier League-ready, internationally visible and entering peak-age territory, which is precisely why the queue is already crowded.
The key Palace calculation is whether they view him as a statement No.9 or whether the price pushes recruitment staff towards a less expensive, earlier-stage forward.
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