Spurs Target Folarin Balogun as Striker Search Intensifies
Tottenham have stepped up their hunt for a new centre-forward, opening talks with Monaco over a deal for USA international Folarin Balogun, as another long-term target, Dusan Vlahovic, closes in on a move to Besiktas.
Spurs turn to Balogun as striker search intensifies
Roberto De Zerbi’s first priority this summer was clear: fix the defence and tighten up the midfield. Tottenham have thrown more than £230million at that brief, reshaping the spine of the side before a ball has even been kicked in anger.
Now the attention has swung to the other end of the pitch.
The club want two attacking additions before the window shuts on September 1, but the plan has been jolted by another concern over Dominic Solanke. The England forward missed the friendly draw with Getafe at the weekend due to an ankle problem, leaving Richarlison as the only fit senior striker – and even he has already made it known he is ready to move on.
That combination of thin numbers and unsettled forwards has forced Tottenham to accelerate their move for a No.9. The left-wing search drags on. The need through the middle can’t.
In France, the pressure has been felt. L’Equipe report that Spurs have moved “in recent hours” for Balogun, laying the foundations for a deal worth around €60m (£51.2m) with Monaco.
Balogun, 25, left Arsenal for Monaco in a £35m deal three years ago and has grown into a reliable scorer in Ligue 1, with 31 goals in 91 games for the principality club. His form carried into the international stage this summer, where he struck three times in four matches for the United States at the World Cup.
His tournament was not without drama. Balogun was at the centre of a controversy involving a red card that was ultimately suspended for a year after high-level intervention from Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, clearing the way for him to feature in the USA’s last-16 defeat to Belgium. The noise around him has rarely been quiet.
Now his name sits high on Tottenham’s list.
Spurs are not alone. Newcastle United, who were already in the frame for the striker in July and were said to be battling Sunderland for his signature, remain interested, while clubs in Spain have also made their presence known. Tottenham are trying to move first, to get a deal in place before the market around Balogun fully ignites.
If they pull it off, it would be a statement: a proven Ligue 1 scorer, entering his peak, brought back to north London to lead a new era.
Vlahovic chooses Besiktas
While Spurs push for Balogun, one of their other long-standing targets is slipping away.
Dusan Vlahovic, once the great hope of Juventus’ forward line and a player tracked by Tottenham since Antonio Conte’s tenure, has given the initial green light to join Besiktas.
The Serbian striker and his camp have verbally agreed a three-year contract worth €10m per season with the Turkish giants. Only the legal formalities remain. Once those are cleared, Vlahovic could be on a plane to Istanbul within 48 hours.
Tottenham’s interest never entirely faded. De Zerbi was keen to explore a deal last month, seeing Vlahovic as a ready-made focal point for his attack, a classic No.9 with the penalty-box presence to transform tight games.
Besiktas changed the picture. Their latest, improved offer has been described as decisive, effectively closing the door on other suitors. The former Fiorentina striker now looks set for Turkey, his move “virtually done” as the final paperwork edges closer.
For Spurs, it sharpens the reality of this window. One major forward option is heading to Istanbul. Another, in Balogun, is now the subject of concrete talks.
The question is simple: can Tottenham turn groundwork into a signature before the clock runs out on their striker rebuild?
