US striker Balogun leaves Arsenal and heads back to France to join Monaco for $43.6M

LONDON (AP) — United States striker Folarin Balogun left Arsenal to join French league club Monaco on Wednesday for a reported fee of 40 million euros ($43.6 million).

The 22-year-old Balogun played in France last season on loan at Reims, where he was tied for fourth in the league’s scoring chart with 21 goals in 37 games.

Balogun, born in New York and raised in London, signed a five-year contract with Monaco.

He declared his choice to play international soccer for the United States and debuted in the CONCACAF Nations League in June, scoring in the 2-0 win over Canada for the title.

Balogun, who has been at Arsenal since the age of 10, was third in the pecking order of strikers at the club behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.

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