Tottenham Pursue Balogun as Striker Search Heats Up
Tottenham have turned the beam of their summer rebuild towards the one position that still glares in need of a solution: centre-forward. And this time, the focus has a very familiar north London twist.
Spurs move for Balogun as striker search intensifies
After pouring more than £230 million into Roberto De Zerbi’s defence and midfield, Tottenham have now opened talks with Monaco over USA striker Folarin Balogun, according to reports in France.
The timing is no accident. Dominic Solanke’s ankle problem, which kept him out of the friendly draw with Getafe at the weekend, has left Richarlison as the only fit senior No.9. Richarlison, for his part, has already made it clear he is prepared to move on. The safety net has gone. Spurs need a striker, urgently.
That urgency has pushed Balogun to the front of the queue. L’Equipe report that Tottenham have moved “in recent hours” and laid the foundations for a deal worth around €60 million (£51.2m) for the Monaco forward.
Balogun, 25, left Arsenal for Monaco in a £35m deal three years ago and has since hit 31 goals in 91 games for the Ligue 1 club. Not spectacular, but steady. Enough to keep him on the radar of Premier League clubs who value his mobility, pressing and ability to play on the shoulder.
He also caught the eye on the biggest stage this summer, scoring three times in four games for the United States at the World Cup. His tournament was not without drama: he found himself at the centre of a storm over a red card that was later suspended for a year, following the intervention of Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, which cleared him to play in the last‑16 defeat to Belgium.
That controversy has not cooled interest. Newcastle United, who were already battling Sunderland for his signature earlier in the summer, are again name-checked among the clubs monitoring the situation, while sides in Spain have also made their interest known. Tottenham, though, are trying to get out in front, sensing an opportunity to strike before the market fully erupts.
For Spurs, Balogun would represent both a gamble and a statement. A return to north London, but in white rather than red, and a bet that his World Cup form and Ligue 1 development can translate into the relentless demands of a club chasing a return to the Champions League.
Vlahovic path closes as Besiktas step in
While Tottenham push for Balogun, another long-term target is slipping from their grasp.
Dusan Vlahovic, the former Juventus striker who has hovered on Spurs’ wish list since Antonio Conte’s tenure, is now on the verge of a move to Besiktas. Reports claim the Serbia international and his camp have given the initial green light to a three-year contract worth €10m per season with the Turkish giants.
The deal is said to be verbally agreed. The final hurdle is legal: Vlahovic must approve the paperwork before he can fly to Istanbul, potentially within 48 hours. Once that happens, one of Europe’s most coveted centre-forwards of recent windows will be trading Serie A and Premier League links for the Süper Lig.
Tottenham’s interest in Vlahovic did not end with Conte. De Zerbi was also keen on the 26-year-old and had identified him as a marquee option to lead the line. But Besiktas’ improved offer appears to have settled the matter, with the move described as virtually done.
So the picture is clear. Vlahovic, the power forward many at Spurs admired, is heading to Turkey. Solanke is in the treatment room. Richarlison is restless. The window closes on September 1.
All of which sharpens the focus on Balogun. Tottenham have made their move. The question now is whether they can finish it, and finally put a new No.9 at the heart of De Zerbi’s project.
