The pitch from the Balogun camp is simple: the player who once worked under Pochettino with the United States national team would like to work with him again, this time at Manchester United. TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey reported on Thursday that the 25-year-old’s representatives have let United know the Pochettino factor has made the move “somewhat” more appealing.
Nothing has been confirmed by either club or by the player, and neither Fabrizio Romano nor David Ornstein has lifted the story to done-deal status. It is, for now, a reported opening from the player’s side.
Pochettino’s part in that pitch is the reunion. He is set to leave the USMNT dugout to take over at Old Trafford on a 2.5-year contract until summer 2029, according to Ornstein, and will join after the November international break. Balogun was a regular under him with the United States, including at the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Monaco minutes have dried up
The context at club level is less flattering. Balogun has started the 2026/27 Ligue 1 season on the fringes, logging only 194 minutes across six outings as Paris Brunner has moved ahead of him in the pecking order, TEAMtalk reports.
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That is a long way from the Balogun of last season, when he produced 19 goals and five assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for Monaco, per The Hard Tackle’s tally. He then scored three goals and set up another at the World Cup, including a brace against Paraguay that ESPN noted was the first World Cup double by a US player since 1930.
Jorge Mendes, who represents the forward, has been working the market on his behalf. An Everton move had been lined up last summer before Balogun pulled out, and TEAMtalk lists Newcastle United, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Juventus among the clubs now in the frame alongside Manchester United.
Monaco willing to sell, loan option open
Monaco’s side of the deal is the part that has moved most. The Ligue 1 club would prefer an outright sale in January for financial reasons but would also consider a loan with a purchase clause, according to TEAMtalk, and would “give his sale an instant green light” if an acceptable offer arrives.
Manchester United’s striker need is the other half of the equation. Pochettino inherits a forward line that has leant on Benjamin Sesko through fitness setbacks and Joshua Zirkzee through a thin run of form, Yahoo Sports noted when first reporting United had been offered the player on 1 November. A Premier League-tested striker with Ligue 1 output and a line to the new manager is an obvious fit on paper, even if nothing has been signed.
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The January window opens on 1 January 2027.
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