Tottenham Pursue Folarin Balogun as Striker Search Intensifies
Tottenham have stepped up their search for a new No.9, opening talks with Monaco over a deal for USA striker Folarin Balogun, just as another long-term target, Dusan Vlahovic, edges towards Turkey.
Spurs turn to Balogun as striker hunt intensifies
Roberto De Zerbi’s first weeks in charge were dominated by defensive and midfield surgery, with Tottenham committing more than £230million to reshape the spine of the team. The rebuild at the back is largely done. Now the spotlight is fixed on the top end of the pitch.
The need has sharpened quickly.
Dominic Solanke, earmarked as a key piece of the new-look attack, missed the weekend’s friendly draw with Getafe because of an ankle problem. That left Richarlison as the only fit senior centre-forward – and he has already made it clear he is prepared to move on if the right opportunity arrives.
That combination of injury worry and uncertainty has forced Spurs to accelerate plans. According to L’Equipe, the club have moved “in recent hours” to try to bring Balogun back to north London, laying the foundations for a deal worth around €60m (£51.2m).
Balogun left Arsenal for Monaco in a £35m transfer three years ago and has since grown into a reliable scorer in Ligue 1, with 31 goals in 91 appearances. At 25, he is no longer a prospect on the fringes of a Premier League squad but a frontline striker with European pedigree.
He also carried that form into the international arena. The forward impressed at the World Cup this summer, scoring three times in four games for the United States. His tournament was overshadowed by controversy after a red card incident that led to a one-year suspension, before high-profile intervention from Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino allowed him to feature in the USA’s last-16 defeat to Belgium.
Tottenham are not alone in sensing an opportunity. Newcastle United, who were already locked in a battle with Sunderland for the striker earlier in the summer, have maintained their interest, while clubs in Spain are also monitoring the situation. Spurs, though, are trying to move first, hoping decisive action can beat their rivals to a rare, ready-made No.9.
The search for a left-winger continues to drag, but in the middle of the front line, the picture is suddenly much clearer: Balogun is now a live, high-priority target.
Vlahovic opts for Istanbul over north London
While Spurs push for Balogun, another name long linked with the club is slipping away.
Dusan Vlahovic, tracked by Tottenham since Antonio Conte’s tenure and admired by De Zerbi, is closing in on a move to Besiktas. The former Juventus and Fiorentina striker and his camp have given an initial green light to a three-year contract with the Turkish giants.
The deal on the table is substantial: a reported €10m per season, verbally agreed and now awaiting final legal checks. Once the paperwork is approved, the Serbia international could be on a plane to Istanbul within 48 hours.
For Tottenham, it marks the end of a pursuit that has stretched across different managers and different tactical ideas. Vlahovic, 26 and still in his prime goalscoring years, had been seen as a statement signing to spearhead a new era. Instead, Besiktas’ latest improved offer has swung the decision their way, leaving the transfer described as virtually complete.
So the picture is stark. Vlahovic is heading for the Süper Lig. Solanke is in the treatment room. Richarlison’s future hangs in the balance.
And Tottenham, once again, find themselves at a familiar crossroads in the final weeks of a window: can they finally land the centre-forward to anchor De Zerbi’s project, or will Balogun become another name on the list of strikers who got away?
