Folarin Balogun has graced the books at Arsenal and Monaco, just as Thierry Henry did, and has broken out an iconic goal celebration once again.
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American striker left Gunners for return to FranceHas already been among the goals in 2023-24Offered a nod towards iconic World Cup winnerWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international bid farewell to north London on a permanent basis over the summer when completing a €40 million (£35m/$42m) transfer to French football – where he had previously thrived during a loan spell at Reims in 2022-23.
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Balogun has produced a mixed bag for Monaco, with two goals recorded and a couple of penalties missed – which both came in the same game. He was on target in his latest outing against Marseille, allowing him to celebrate for the first time in front of the home support at Stade Louis II, and broke out Henry’s famous corner flag celebration routine after hitting the back of the net.
DID YOU KNOW?
Balogun opted to sever ties with Arsenal after registering 21 goals during his time at Reims. He was eager to build on that success with regular first-team football, and felt those opportunities would be hard to come by at Emirates Stadium. He is now enjoying life in Monaco, with a “great response” delivered to the disappointment of having failed twice from the spot in a 1-0 defeat to Nice.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Balogun has a number of goal celebrations in his locker, but does like to offer a nod towards Arsenal icon Henry. He previously emulated the World Cup winners’ corner flag routine when scoring against Paris Saint-Germain for Reims back in January. The 22-year-old is hoping that there will be many more efforts to come from him heading forward – for both Monaco and the USMNT.