Such proficiency combined with his physicality and youth understandably draw comparisons with Erling Haaland, which FBref emphasise by including the Norwegian goal machine on his ‘similar players’ list.
Gunners legend Thierry Henry offered one key similarity they share after he claimed:
“He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels but he was missing something, which was his finishing. He’s now starting to score goals regularly and I’m happy for that – happy he has gone abroad. It’s especially so considering he is a Londoner, in general Londoners struggle to leave London.”
It seems that his bulky 5 foot 10 frame partnered with his electric pace makes for the same frightening combination that has allowed Manchester City’s 23-year-old forward to dominate world football.
Last season saw him score 52 goals across all competitions, breaking the Premier League goalscoring record for a sole campaign with his 36 strikes.
He is imperious, and regarded by Wayne Rooney as “the best footballer in the world” at present.
Whilst Balogun will have aspirations of reaching such a level, he will be aware that few can dominate as he does. However, with the vacancy that has emerged at his north London rivals, he would surely be best served starting with them than battling behind Jesus under Mikel Arteta.
Postecoglou would likely nurture the young forward, utilising his talents to get him as close as possible to the unimitable Haaland.
Tottenham Hotspur have started talks for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku as La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Davide Chinellato shares a transfer update.
Who will Spurs replace Kane with?
Ange Postecoglou could be set for a busy final few weeks of the summer after star striker Harry Kane completed his potential £103 million move to Bayern Munich.
The north Londoners must now find a replacement for Kane heading into the last fortnight of this transfer window, and there have been many linked, including the likes of Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, Gent’s Gift Orban, Chelsea forward Lukaku and Juventus ace Dusan Vlahovic.
Postecoglou has admitted that Spurs must focus on outgoings for now, as the squad is currently too bloated, but the 57-year-old did express that he knew Kane would leave before deadline day.
“I had a conversation with Harry the first day he arrived and he was up front and honest, and I was the same,” the 57-year-old said ahead of their opener against Brentford on Sunday.
“You get an indication there that he kind of made up his mind: that if the clubs agreed he would go, particularly if it was before the first game. That was my preference as well.
“There’s nothing along the way that’s sort of made me feel there’s anything other than this outcome. None of these things happen in isolation, everyone is pretty clued into to what’s going on, so from my perspective I hadn’t received anything from Harry, the club or anyone else to suggest to me anything had changed about his stance.”
Kane’s haul of 30 league goals in 38 appearances last term will be very hard to replicate for any incoming striker, but one man who has reached similar figures in England before is Lukaku.
The 30-year-old’s best Premier League campaign came during his time at Everton, where he managed 25 in 36 league starts over 16/17. Lukaku, most recently, also managed an impressive 24 goals and 11 assists during Inter Milan’s 2020/2021 title-winning campaign.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Chinellato, sharing an update for the Italian newspaper on Spurs’ links to Lukaku (via Sport Witness), says club-to-club talks have started.
Indeed, it is believed Tottenham “contacts have started and an agreement is possible” for Lukaku, who is said to prefer them over a potential move to Saudi Arabia.
If chairman Daniel Levy wishes to sign the forward, a €45 million (£38.6m) fee is needed, while Juventus remain in contention for a swap deal involving Vlahovic.
