Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to complete their summer rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi. AS Monaco hitman Folarin Balogun could be the final puzzle piece.
A new era has arrived in North London with Tottenham Hotspur undertaking an extremely aggressive squad rebuild. Having narrowly avoided disaster last season, the team’s spine have been reconstructed with over £230m worth of top-tier talent.
The arrivals of Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, and Matheus Fernandes bring proven Premier League pedigree. Yet, as Roberto De Zerbi prepares his side for another demanding league season, one glaring question mark hangs over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: who will lead the line?
With Dominic Solanke struggling for consistent fitness and form, plus pre-season injuries disrupting alternative avenues, Spurs have turned their gaze towards the French Riviera. At around £51m, AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun has emerged as the priority target to complete the Italian tactician’s attacking puzzle.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Balogun’s refined Ligue 1 output
The 25-year-old has evolved exponentially since leaving London on a permanent basis in 2023. While his initial breakout loan spell at Reims proved his natural goalscoring instincts, his development at Monaco over the past three seasons has turned him into a remarkably complete modern forward.
Last term was undoubtedly his finest yet. Balogun was crowned Monaco’s Player of the Season after netting 19 goals across all competitions. That tally included 18 goals split between Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
Across 2,245 minutes of league action, the American struck 13 times from 15.05 expected goals (xG). This return placed him fourth in the division’s goal charts. His campaign peaked with a devastating spring run, scoring in eight consecutive league fixtures. He demonstrated a clinical edge in high-stakes clashes against PSG, Marseille, and Lyon.
Fresh off leading the line for the United States at the 2026 World Cup with three goals in four appearances, Balogun is operating with peak self-belief. With just two years left on his Monaco deal and super-agent Jorge Mendes now managing his affairs, a Premier League return represents the logical next step in his career.
Dynamic movement and press resistance
What separates Balogun from conventional number nines is his versatility. In an era where many sides rely on towering physical targets to pin centre-backs, Balogun generates his threat through intelligent spatial awareness and explosive off-the-ball running.
He is not a forward who remains stationary between opposition centre-halves. Instead, Balogun thrives on making diagonal runs into the channels, dragging defensive blocks and creating central opportunities for inverted wingers and overlapping full-backs. His timing playing off the shoulder of the last defender is razor-sharp, allowing his side to transition with blistering speed whenever possession is turned over.
Beyond his finishing, the underlying metrics reveal an attacker who actively improves a team’s possession. Balogun maintained a 78.4% pass accuracy in the opponent’s half last term and completed 1.32 take-ons per 90, demonstrating the technical security required to receive under intense pressure. Furthermore, his defensive contributions are substantial for a leading forward. Balogun registered 92 ball regains in Ligue 1 last season and won 1.62 fouls per 90, serving as a reliable outlet when his side needed to relieve defensive pressure.
Completing De Zerbi’s North London puzzle
If this tactical profile sounds familiar, that is because it mirrors the exact characteristics Roberto De Zerbi requires from his central striker. De Zerbi’s build-up play relies heavily on drawing the opponent’s press before executing rapid combinations through the middle third.
In De Zerbi’s system, the striker must act as a ‘nine-and-a-half’. They need to drop deep to lure opposing centre-backs, execute quick one-touch passes to playmakers, and instantly spin into the space behind.
With Tonali and Fernandes providing excellent press-resistance and distribution from the double pivot, and Andy Robertson offering natural width on the overlap, Spurs are likely to create a lot. What they have desperately lacked is a dynamic focal point who can knit final-third passing lanes together while offering genuine lethality.
Balogun represents the ideal catalyst to unlock that potential. While returning to North London in the white shirt will inevitably raise eyebrows, he will value opportunity over sentimentality. For a new-look Tottenham side, landing Balogun could be the defining signing of their entire project.