Arsenal legend Alan Smith reckons Everton "could be a good home" for Folarin Balogun — and given what the Monaco striker has done at this World Cup, David Moyes would be wise to take that seriously.
Balogun has been one of the standout forwards of the tournament's opening stage. A brace in the USA's 4-2 demolition of Paraguay, then an assist in the 2-0 win over Australia — all while representing a country he only qualifies for because an airline refused to let his heavily pregnant mother board a return flight from Brooklyn in 2001. The quirk of circumstance that made him American has become one of soccer's better storylines.
The numbers behind the hype
This isn't a player riding a wave of World Cup noise. Balogun has scored 31 goals in 91 appearances for Monaco since joining from Reims for €30m in August 2023, including 19 in 43 last season. At Reims before that, he netted 22 on loan. He's been producing consistently in Ligue 1 for three years now.
The question for Everton — and for anyone pricing this deal — is whether that translates to the Premier League. Smith was candid about it: "the step up into the Premier League is a big one from the French top division." He's right. Plenty of Ligue 1 forwards have stalled at that crossing. But Balogun is 24, in form, and by all accounts wants out of Monaco, who still have him under contract for two more years and are asking north of £40m.
Moyes has form here. He brought Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Brian McBride to Goodison — now Hill Dickinson Stadium — during his first spell. The American connection is real, and so is the reported interest, with a source close to the manager telling Football Insider a move this window is possible.
What Everton actually need
Everton's problem last season wasn't creativity or effort — it was goals. A striker who scored 19 times in 43 club games before heading into a World Cup with three goals and an assist in two matches is exactly the profile they're missing. Monaco's asking price is steep for a club navigating financial constraints, but if Moyes can pull this off, Balogun's top scorer odds at Goodison next season would open at very attractive numbers.
Smith put it plainly: "I'd like to see him do well, and Everton could be a good home for him." That's not a ringing endorsement, but it's an honest one — and right now, honest assessments of Everton's transfer activity are hard to come by.
