Folarin Balogun is officially back on Monaco’s squad for the Conference League. This is a huge move, especially since he was left out of the initial roster and is now replacing Ansu Fati, who got injured on October 25 against Lille.
Balogun Breaks His Drought as Fati Faces Sidelines
Balogun’s name popped up on UEFA’s website Tuesday, which is big news considering his season so far. He’s only played five games as a substitute for Monaco, but he finally broke his goal drought on Sunday, bagging his first goal in a 3-1 loss at Paris FC. Meanwhile, French daily L’Equipe is reporting Fati is sidelined for two months after that injury. Talk about a sudden switch-up for Monaco’s lineup.
From Transfer Drama to Conference League Exclusion
It hasn’t been a smooth road for Balogun. He was super close to heading to Everton on the last day of the summer transfer window, September 1. We’re talking a reported 40 million pounds, or about $54 million. But he pulled out of that deal because he got uncomfortable with Everton raising doubts about his health during the medical exam. Days after that whole thing went down, Monaco left him off the Conference League squad list. Why? Because the club still had an option to sell him to a league where the transfer window was still open. Clearly, that never materialized.
World Cup Fallout and What’s Ahead
Remember the World Cup? Balogun, as the U.S. team’s star, was caught up in a wild controversy then too. He got a red card during the round-of-32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA deferred his one-game suspension after U.S. President Donald Trump actually called Gianni Infantino, the president of soccer’s world governing body, to see if the red card could be reviewed. Balogun played in the round of 16, but the U.S. lost to Belgium and he had a performance he’d probably rather forget.
Now, Monaco has already bagged wins in their first two Conference League games against CSKA Sofia and Freiburg. They’ve got more action coming up in the 36-club league phase. Next up for Monaco is FC Nordsjælland on Thursday, and then they’ll face Hearts, Brighton, and Lincoln Red Imps. With Balogun now officially in the mix and having finally found the back of the net, can he step up and help Monaco keep that Conference League run strong? It’s going to be interesting to watch what he does with this second chance.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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