Folarin Balogun: Ligue 1 Player Watch

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Monaco broke the bank to bring Folarin Balogun to the Stade Louis-II from Arsenal in the 2023 summer transfer window. At the age of 22, Balogun was at a pivotal point in his fledgling career, having made it clear he had no interest in another loan move. He had been with the Gunners since he was eight, but the US international featured just 10 times across three years since making his debut under Mikel Arteta. Hungry for games and goals, he chose Adi Hütter's Monaco as the club where he felt most likely to flourish next.

Born in New York, Balogun was raised in England by Nigerian-born parents. He was an England youth international before committing to the US national team, but excitement around his potential was stoked by a loan spell at Ligue 1 Reims last season. In 37 league matches for a mid-table team, Balogun scored 21 goals – nearly half of the club’s total for the 2022/23 season. This  experience built on a challenging half-season loan at Middlesbrough in the 2021/22 Championship – another learning curve in his transition from youth talent to senior football marksman.

Arteta’s view

“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible,” was Arteta's verdict when his young striker was on loan at Reims – in contrast with his time in the Championship. “He had some scars from that period,” explained the Arsenal manager. “There were moments when he suffered, moments when he played, and when he didn’t. Moments when he played in what he believes is not his best position. He threw all those excuses out and went into the next experience.”

At Monaco, he will hope to further his experience with an extended run of games and goals. Here, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed Balogun’s style of play and position by looking at his time at Reims…

Technical analysis

Balogun is a right-footed centre-forward who operates particularly well on the shoulder of the back line, always looking to get in behind. He likes to receive within the width of the six-yard box and adapts his movements well, often on the blindside of the centre-back closest to the ball. If his teammates work the ball sideways across the pitch, he readjusts to stay out of sight of the first centre-back, but still facing forward so he can run in behind (below).

Balogun is clever with his positioning when the build-up is wide, holding for cut-backs or the second phase. He will check his run when a teammate crosses from a high position and the opposition have dropped to protect the goal. When he can’t attack the first phase on a through ball, cross or forward pass, he is good at anticipating the second phase by moving away from the ball. 

Finishing

This is indicative of his poacher’s mindset. He can finish first time from blocked or deflected efforts, and other balls in the penalty area. His first-time finishing is a major asset, although his movement away from the ball means that near-post runs are few. He could add to his goal return and unpredictability in the box by making more runs across the near post and the first defender, especially as he can finish with both feet. 

Balogun is a composed finisher who, thanks to primary movements, positioning and athleticism, often ends up with chances to finish first time. In open play he can score from both sides, and he adds to his goal tally by taking penalties. He adjusts his body very well to the angle or height of deliveries, using a variety of finishes. He tends to be most effective when running towards goal on a slight angle, then calmly finishing with the inside of his foot (below).

Balogun works more first-time attempts than some forwards by positioning his body at an angle towards goal – usually the far post – prior to receiving. That does mean the quality of his finishing is partly reliant on the detail and quality of the ball played into him, but he is an efficient forward who doesn't waste many chances.

Outside the box

Away from the penalty area, his wide movements help instigate counter-attacks. Against a set block, his bending runs across the back line connect with forward passes, allowing teammates to breach the opposing back line. Here, he can slide delicate balls in behind for midfield runs (below), or passes across the final third that enable teammates to exploit the other side. Balogun will then work his way into the box, often taking up a withdrawn position, ready to finish. 

Despite working wide and making channel runs, he rarely crosses despite being able to deliver off both feet, with pace and accuracy. He also has the pace to explode away from his opponent – as seen with his central runs in behind – and then decelerate. From there, he can either release the ball as the defender slows down, or push off and accelerate a second time, before finding passes in and around the penalty area. 

Central threat

For Reims, Balogun was the main focal point in attack, mostly operating as a single central forward within head coach Will Still’s 4-2-3-1 structure. He operated on the last line as long as possible, looking for direct forward passes and hitting the spaces behind. Whenever Reims’ centre-backs stepped forward – or they made a back three, with the pivot dropping in between the central defenders – direct passes looked for Balogun’s runs. These were often hit diagonally, enabling him to remain on the blindside of his marker and approach the goal on the angle to finish first time.

When Reims counter-attacked, they used narrowing wingers and a number 10 to slide early balls in behind for Balogun. Against more reserved blocks, wingers Junya It? and Alexis Flips moved inside earlier (below), allowing full-backs Thomas Foket and Thibault De Smet to advance.

With at least two central midfielders positioned in number-eight roles, Reims often had four narrow players looking to receive on the half-turn, between the lines, and play forward from there. This proved ideal for Balogun; the team could progress centrally, with multiple players ready to receive and provide sliding passes in behind, as he made his preferred movement to goal. 

Wide movements

With the wingers narrowing, space was also available for Balogun to run across the back line, or receive in slightly wider positions. Should the full-backs be unable to reach the final third via an overlapping run, his runs across the back line helped Reims progress. Narrowed runs from his closest winger, or one of the central midfielders joining the attack, supported the centre-forward (below). 

Other than the two narrowed wingers, Balogun provided the most key passes for Reims in 2022/23. His ability to pick a pass deep in the final third was particularly impressive. Whenever combinations on his side were unavailable via the narrowed wingers or a number 10 run, he would look to find the far central midfielder and then take up a position to finish himself.

His time with Reims proved to be fruitful, and it is understandable he wants to kick on with regular first-team football. With the United States building towards a home World Cup in 2026, his next steps in Ligue 1 are of interest across the Atlantic, too. 

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Author: The Coaches' Voice