Could Folarin Balogun prove the long-term solution to Chelsea's goal woes?

 

Chelsea have already made moves this summer to rectify their goal issues. Only four teams hit the back of the net fewer times than the Blues (38) last season, that return worse than relegated pair Leicester and Leeds. Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have joined from RB Leipzig and Villarreal, respectively, but the consensus is that the west London side need one more to complete their forward ranks. 

 

A number of strikers have been linked with a summer move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have been credited with an interest in Serie A duo Victor Osimhen and Dusan Vlahovic, but reports suggest they could look a little closer to home in a bid to ease their striking woes. 

 

Folarin Balogun recently enjoyed a fine loan spell with Ligue 1 outfit Reims. The 22-year-old struck 21 times in France's top tier last term, the fourth best return, and that in itself was more than Chelsea's top three goalscorers combined (17) in 2022/23. As a result, Balogun's stock is high, with a number of Europe's top sides believed to be keen on the USA international. 

 

 

AC Milan, Inter, RB Leipzig and Premier League side Crystal Palace are among those who have been linked with a move for Balogun and while Arsenal would be keen to keep the youngster at the Emirates and have him challenge Gabriel Jesus for a starting spot, the striker is unlikely to settle for a spot on the bench and wait for his chance for regular minutes after such an impressive season. 

 

As such, Arsenal are believed to have set a £50m asking price for Balogun, in a bid to either deter potential suitors or make a significant profit on an academy product. With just two years left to run on his current deal, and the player believed to be opposed to extending his stay with the club, the Gunners need to maximise this summer window of opportunity to bring in a hefty fee for Balogun. 

 

And despite the rivalry between the pair, Chelsea may hope to use the good relations between the two teams to complete a deal for Balogun. This year alone Jorginho and Kai Havertz have swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates, and the amicable relationship between the pair could prove key in any potential negotiations between the Blues and Arsenal for Balogun. 

 

With Mauricio Pochettino in charge, Chelsea are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 setup next season, and so a player experienced in playing as the lone striker in a system would be a huge boost for the Argentine. Both Nkunku and Jackson are able to play the role, but the former is better suited as a support striker, whereas the latter has previously been thought of as a wideman. Balogun, though, knows how to play the system and has the ability to bring others into play while operating as a central striker, which is key. 

 

Balogun would often drop into midfield for Reims last season, particularly once opponents began to sit deeper to counter Les rouges et blancs, but the hitman tailored his game accordingly to aid in the build up play. Balogun chipped in with a modest 16.4 passes per 90, though these were often one-touch passes out wide as he dragged markers out of position and held off defenders to keep Reims on the front foot. 

 

A 72.5% pass success rate was a respectable return for a striker and with the direct wingers at Pochettino's disposal, they'd thrive off of Balogun's willingness to drop in to receive the ball and link up with his teammates. Crucially, though, is that Chelsea would sign Balogun to simply put the ball in the back of the net. 

 

Only Jonathan David (10) scored more penalties than Balogun (6) in Ligue 1 last season, which inflated his goal return, but 15 non-penalty goals was still the eighth best in France's top tier last term, so if the chances are created for Balogun, he's likely to score. 17 big chances scored ranked third in Ligue 1, while a conversion rate of 16.4% ranked 29th of the 127 players to muster 25 or more shots. In addition, only Erling Haaland (30.6) and Robert Lewandowski (25.3) had a higher xG than Balogun (25.0) in Europe's top five leagues last season to further reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'finishing'. 

 

That only Kylian Mbappe (149) and Lionel Messi (129) managed more shots than Balogun (128) in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign highlights the latter's confidence in his ability to go for goal, and it's a quality that was routinely found wanting at Chelsea last term. Havertz managed the most shots of all Chelsea players (71) in the Premier League last season, and a striker prepared to routinely chance his luck would itself be an improvement on the forwards that were on the Blues' books for 2022/23. 

 

Chelsea have invested heavily on their frontline already this summer, but the addition of an out-and-out striker in the form of Balogun could complete their attack. Whether Arsenal would be willing to do business with their London rival for a frontman they wish to keep remains to be seen, yet in the Blues' pursuit of a forward, Balogun's skillset would be ideal for Pochettino's side.

Could Folarin Balogun prove the long-term solution to Chelsea's goal woes?