Everton officials continue to work away to construct a competitive squad for the 2026/27 season, and there are now more links to USMNT striker Folarin Balogun.
The focus has mainly been on right-backs over the past couple of weeks.
Certainly, that is the biggest priority right now for Everton, who have already lost Seamus Coleman and are set to sell Nathan Patterson.
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But the possibility of a new striker has been floated, with Thierno Barry and Beto having both drawn criticism at times last season.
Both strikers were on target in Everton’s first pre-season friendly against Dundee.
But Everton are now in for Balogun according to TEAMtalk, which is an exciting link.
Folarin Balogun could be a big striker upgrade for Everton
Balogun made a lot of headlines at the World Cup when his red card was overturned after an intervention by US president Donald Trump.
But before all the furore, Balogun was banging in the goals at the tournament for the USMNT.
He scored three – two against Paraguay in the nation’s first group stage match, and then one against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
It follows a strong season with AS Monaco, with Balogun scoring 19 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions. He also laid on five assists.
Prior to his move to Monaco, he also had a good spell at Reims, scoring 22 goals in 39 appearances.
19 goals last season is a bigger haul than Beto has ever managed in his career.
Balogun has developed nicely over the last couple of years and could well be ready to make a return to England to have a crack at the Premier League.
He left Arsenal in 2023 having failed to break through, but at the age of 25, he has added a lot to his game.
USMNT captain Tim Ream painted a very good picture of Balogun ahead of the World Cup, talking up his movement and ability to be a nuisance.
He said: “What we would say in England is how sharp he is.
“Just with his movement: left, right, being able to hold the ball up and bring other players in, and then his movement in behind and getting himself in the goalscoring positions is something that we’ve been crying out for for a long time with the team and this group.
“He’s probably the most annoying striker for me to have to deal with in training because he is so quick with his movements, physically strong and able to seemingly glide past people.”
The Guardian say that ‘he’s prone to dragging centre-backs as he shifts from side to side, creating openings for teammates to sprint into for wider breaks beyond the back.”
It seems he is better when facing up defenders than Everton’s two current striker options. At 41%, his take-on success was higher (via Squawka) than both Beto and Barry last season (36% for Beto, 29% for Barry).
He may not have made it at Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta knew he had a top prospect, saying of him (via Goal): “He’s got something special. That’s why we gave him a long-term contract and have faith in him, and give him the long period that he’s having now, because the period he’s having now is different to the one before at Middlesbrough.”
He already has 60 goals for club and country. Beto has scored 76 having been around a few years longer, and Barry has 59.
With RB Leipzig having been linked with Barry, it’s possible he could be a replacement for the Frenchman.
It remains to be seen if there will be movement with that particular situation, but Balogun – who is also wanted by the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Fulham, and valued at around £40 million – does seem like he could be an upgrade on the current Everton number 11, and possibly Beto too.
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