Tottenham Pursue Folarin Balogun as Vlahovic Heads to Besiktas
Tottenham have stepped up their hunt for a new No.9, opening talks with Monaco over a deal for USA striker Folarin Balogun, just as long-term target Dusan Vlahovic prepares to take his goals to Turkey instead.
This is the pivot point of Roberto De Zerbi’s first Tottenham window. The defence has been rebuilt, the midfield reinforced, and more than £230million has already gone into reshaping the squad. Now comes the part that defines seasons: finding the striker who finishes all that work off.
Spurs move on Balogun
The urgency has sharpened in the last few days. Dominic Solanke, the man earmarked to lead the line, missed the friendly draw with Getafe at the weekend because of an ankle problem. That left Richarlison as the only fit senior centre-forward – and he has already made it clear he is open to a move away.
Tottenham cannot afford to walk into September 1 with that thin a frontline. So they have turned to Balogun.
According to L’Equipe, Spurs have made their move “in recent hours”, opening talks with Monaco and laying the foundations for a deal worth around €60m (£51.2m). It would be a significant outlay, but Balogun is no punt.
The 25-year-old joined Monaco from Arsenal three years ago in a £35m deal and has grown into a consistent threat in Ligue 1, scoring 31 goals in 91 games. Strong, mobile, and comfortable running in behind or linking play, he fits the profile of a modern Premier League No.9.
He also arrives with the spotlight that comes from a World Cup. Balogun impressed on the biggest stage this summer, scoring three times in four games for the United States. His tournament was not without drama – he was at the centre of a controversy over a red card that was ultimately suspended for a year after intervention from Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a decision that allowed him to feature in the last-16 defeat to Belgium – but his performances only underlined his growing reputation.
That kind of form does not go unnoticed. Newcastle United, who were already in the frame for Balogun in July and battling Sunderland for his signature at that stage, remain interested. Clubs in Spain have also registered their admiration. Tottenham are trying to move first and move decisively.
If they can close it, Balogun would arrive as a centrepiece signing in attack, with De Zerbi still pushing for a new left-winger to complete his forward line. That search has dragged and irritated, but the striker situation has now overtaken it as the more pressing concern.
Vlahovic chooses Besiktas
While Spurs push for Balogun, another name on their long-standing shortlist is slipping away.
Dusan Vlahovic, tracked by Tottenham since Antonio Conte’s tenure and a player De Zerbi also wanted to bring to north London, is on the brink of a move to Besiktas. The former Juventus and Fiorentina forward, 26, has reportedly given the initial green light to join the Turkish giants.
A three-year contract worth €10m per season is said to have been verbally agreed. The remaining steps are legal, not sporting: Vlahovic must now approve the paperwork before flying to Istanbul, which could happen within 48 hours.
Besiktas’ latest improved offer appears to have settled the matter. Their financial package has tipped the balance, leaving the move described as virtually done and closing a chapter on Tottenham’s interest in one of Europe’s most prolific frontmen.
For Spurs, that narrows the field. Vlahovic, once seen as a statement signing to lead the line, will not be the man. The pressure on securing Balogun – or finding an alternative of similar calibre – only increases.
The window closes on September 1. Tottenham have rebuilt almost everything behind the striker. Now they have to answer the question that will hang over De Zerbi’s first season: who scores the goals that make all that investment count?
