Sunderland have been linked with a potential move for former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who is reportedly attracting growing Premier League interest after an impressive season with Monaco and strong World Cup performances for the United States.
CaughtOffside claim the 24-year-old is being looked at by a number of English clubs, with Aston Villa, Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland all credited with interest. The report adds that Balogun is keen to return to the Premier League this summer, though Monaco would prefer to keep him and are not expected to make any deal straightforward.
Balogun is said to be valued at around £43million, a figure that would also benefit Arsenal because of a sell-on clause agreed when the striker left north London for Monaco. The Gunners reportedly hold a 17.5% sell-on, meaning they could bank around £7.5million if Balogun moves for that fee.
The striker came through Arsenal’s academy but found regular first-team football difficult to secure before leaving permanently for Monaco. He has since rebuilt his career in Ligue 1 and is coming off a productive 2025-26 campaign, scoring 19 goals in all competitions for the French club.
His performances for the United States have also helped raise his profile further, with Balogun now approaching what should be the peak years of his career. That combination of age, pedigree, top-level experience and goalscoring record is likely to appeal to clubs looking for attacking reinforcements this summer.
A source quoted by CaughtOffside said: “Clubs across Europe have been tracking Balogun for some time; they’ve known about him since his days at Arsenal. This is the summer he’s expected to move. Monaco sources are playing this down, but he’s keen to move to the Premier League and several clubs there have been informed that he’s available for a package worth around £43m.”
Balogun would represent a major statement signing, though the reported £43million asking price and level of competition would make any move difficult. Aston Villa, Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest being named in the same report underlines the challenge.
