"This is the only place I wanted to go" - Chelsea target reveals why he chose AS Monaco this summer
Folarin Balogun, who was also a target for Chelsea, has revealed why he chose AS Monaco upon his Arsenal exit. Balogun has returned to Ligue 1 after having a productive season on loan last term.
Balogun had a stellar campaign on loan at Stade Reims last season, scoring 22 goals and providing three assists across competitions in 39 matches. However, it wasn't enough to guarantee him a first-team run at Arsenal, as the Gunners already have the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus in their ranks.
Hence, the player decided to leave the club, and Chelsea were also interested in adding the US international to their ranks.
Rather, the player chose AS Monaco, and speaking about his decision, Balogun said (via Football Transfers):
“In the end when Monaco were interested it was, really, an easy decision for me. I told my agent: "This is the only place I wanted to go." And luckily for me, he made it happen."
He further added:
“I feel like, for me, it was important to obviously go to a side that's competing to win stuff. They're a really big team in the French league. At the same time, I want to play games. I want to be able to prove myself and prove to people around that I'm capable of playing and being the main striker for a team.”
Balogun made a total of 10 senior appearances for Arsenal, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Chelsea are yet to find their form in front of goal
Chelsea had a below-par campaign last term, as the Stamford Bridge club finished 12th in the Premier League. One of the most prevalent issues last season was the fact that they failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
The Blues are yet to find a permanent solution to the issue this season, and they have scored only five goals in four league matches this term. Nicolas Jackson is the team's leading striker at the moment.
Mauricio Pochettino has been brought in to steady the Blues' troubled ship. Fixing the goalscoring issues on a permanent basis will be the team's primary aim in the near future.