Barcelona joins race to sign player whose World Cup red card was overturned

Barcelona joins race for player whose red card was overturned at World Cup

Aston Villa and Barcelona have joined the race to sign US national team and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, L'Equipe reported.

Earlier, it was reported that London club Tottenham had begun negotiations with the French club on the transfer of the American player.

The 25-year-old Balogun became one of Monaco's key players last season. He played in 43 matches in all competitions and scored 19 goals. The striker also attracted attention with his good performances for the US national team at the 2026 World Cup. He also had his red card and suspension from the World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1/16 finals overturned with the intervention of American officials. As a result, the player played in the 1/8 finals against Belgium (1:4).

So far, one of the main contenders for Balogun is Tottenham. The London club is ready to offer about 60 million euros for the transfer of the striker. Spurs have also almost reached an agreement with Manchester City striker Omar Marmush.

Balogun's current contract with Monaco is until June 2028. However, Monaco is ready to sell the player before the transfer window closes.

Aston Villa plans to bring Balogun to replace Ollie Watkins if he moves to Al-Hilal. Barcelona has also expressed interest in the transfer of the American striker.

Balogun is currently expected to return to Monaco training. He may play in the return match against the Polish club Gornik as part of the Conference League qualifying round. However, the possibility of the striker changing teams before the transfer window closes remains.